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non-invasive  ·  EEG ·  shipping

Insight

By EMOTIV

Identity

Manufacturer
EMOTIV
Model number
INSIGHT01
Codename
—
Aliases
Emotiv Insight, Insight 5-Channel
Generation
Insight Gen 1
Country of origin
—
Released
Announced
Discontinued
—
Status
shipping

Classification

Invasiveness
non-invasive
Modalities
EEG, accelerometry, magnetometry
Primary modality
EEG
Direction
read
Categories
consumer-wellness, consumer-focus, developer-kit
Form factor
headband
Use cases
consumer focus / attention tracking, performance and mood tracking, BCI prototyping, neuromarketing pilots, mental commands for prototyping
Target users
general-consumer, developer, neuroscience-researcher

Electrodes

Total channels
5
Recording channels
5
Reference channels
2
Electrode type
semi-dry
Material
semi-dry-polymer
10-20 positions
AF3, AF4, T7, T8, Pz
Requires gel
No
Requires saline
No
Prep time
—
Reusable
Yes
Disposable
No
10-20 head map
PzAF3AF4T7T8

Auxiliary sensors

IMU
Yes
IMU axes
9
Accelerometer
Yes
Gyroscope
Yes
Magnetometer
Yes
PPG (heart rate)
No
ECG
No
EMG
No
EOG
No
EDA / GSR
No
Temperature
No
Respiration
No
Microphone
No
Eye tracking
No

Signal acquisition

Sampling rate
128 Hz
ADC resolution
14 bit
Notch filters
50 Hz, 60 Hz
Onboard artifact rejection
—

Stimulation

Capable
No

Connectivity

Protocols
bluetooth-le, proprietary-rf
Bluetooth
4.0
Bluetooth profiles
—
Concurrent mode
—
Encryption (transit)
—
Pairing methods
app, usb-dongle
Cloud sync
—
Offline recording
—

Power

Sources
rechargeable-li-po
Battery life (active)
8 hr
Charging port
—
Charging time
120 min
Battery replaceable
—
Notes
—

Physical

Weight
—
Dimensions
—
Materials
—
Sizes
one-size
Head circumference
—
Operating temp
—

Compute

Has onboard computer
No
Operating systems
—
Primary OS
—
Edge ML accelerator
No
Root access
—
App sandbox
—
3rd-party apps allowed
—
Notes
—

Software & data

Mobile app
—
Cloud platform
—
Offline mode
—
Subscription required
—
Raw data access
—
Export formats
—
LSL support
—
Data ownership
—
Apps
—

SDK & developer access

Has SDK
Yes
Open source
—
Languages
—
Web Bluetooth
—
Raw sample access
—
BCI paradigms
—
3rd-party integrations
—
Docs
emotiv.gitbook.io

Capabilities

Attention / focus
Yes
Meditation / calm
—
Neurofeedback
—
Meditation coaching
—
Sleep tracking
—

Security

Authentication factors
—
Per-user profiles
—
Requires account
—
Claiming methods
—
Ownership model
—
Activation lock
—
Remote lock
—
Remote wipe
—
Find my device
—
Notes
—

Firmware & updates

OTA supported
—
OTA transports
—
Update mechanism
—
Update channels
—
Rollback supported
—
Signed updates
—
Forced updates
—
User deferrable
—
Requires app companion
—
Average update frequency
—
Notes
—

Regulatory & clinical

FDA status
none
CE mark
Yes
Certifications
FCC, IC, CE, AS/NZS, UL, CSA
Prescription required
No
Pediatric approved
—

Pricing & availability

MSRP
$499
Current price
$499
Subscription
—
Warranty
—
Return policy (days)
—
Where to buy
Buy at emotiv.com

Accessibility

Works with hair
—
Works over glasses
—
Works over headwear
—
Languages
—
Pediatric minimum age
—

Media & links

Official site
emotiv.com
Product page
emotiv.com

Editor’s take

In favor

  • Frictionless setup — no gel or saline
  • 9-axis IMU at this price point
  • Same Cortex API and SDK as the flagship EPOC X
  • Includes a parietal (Pz) electrode that frontal-only consumer headsets lack
  • Lighter and cheaper than EPOC X

Against

  • Only 5 channels — no occipital coverage, limited motor-imagery sites
  • 128 Hz sampling (vs 256 Hz on premium-tier EPOC X)
  • Raw EEG and Mental Commands gated behind EmotivPRO subscription
  • Closed-source firmware and SDK

Sources & provenance

Last reviewed