What is the Unicorn BCI Core-8?

The Unicorn BCI Core-8 is a 24-bit, 8-channel wireless EEG and BCI amplifier that snaps magnetically onto interchangeable base stations. That single design decision is what makes it unusual: the same amplifier records from a human cap, a dog cap, a horse cap or a set of gold cup electrodes fixed directly in fur, simply by swapping the base it clips into.

Two electrode families are available. Gold cup electrodes are small and light, held in place with conductive paste, and are the right choice for sleep recordings or for slipping through animal fur to reach the skin. g.SAHARA hybrid electrodes use eight pins long enough to penetrate hair and support both dry and wet recording, which makes them the practical option for fast human setups.

Key Features

• Snap-in modular design: One amplifier, many base stations. Magnetic attachment powers the device on contact and allows the cap to be removed and washed.
• Human and animal recording: Validated setups for humans, dogs, horses, cats and other species using dedicated caps or fur-mounted gold cup electrodes.
• 8 DC-coupled channels at 24 bit: 250 Hz per channel with oversampling for a high signal-to-noise ratio.
• Two electrode options: Gold cup electrodes for sleep and fur placement, g.SAHARA hybrid electrodes for dry or wet scalp recording.
• Long battery life: More than 6 hours in measurement mode and more than 9 hours in connection mode, charged over USB in 2 hours 40 minutes.
• Very light: 23 g amplifier at 30 x 50 x 16 mm, suitable for mounting on a halter or harness.
• Bluetooth 5 connectivity: Reliable wireless streaming during free movement.
• Python-first software: The g.Pype SDK gives a node-based, open-source alternative to MATLAB workflows on both Windows and macOS.

Real-time signal processing in Python

The Unicorn BCI Core-8 was designed around a Python workflow. The g.Pype SDK is a node-based software development kit for building real-time acquisition, processing and visualisation pipelines, installable through pip, documented with prebuilt example blocks, compatible with Windows and macOS, and free for personal use. For commercial deployment, g.Pype Runtime packages a custom pipeline as a self-contained processing backend that requires no third-party libraries on the target machine.

g.HIsys and OSCAR LIVE artefact removal

Data streams in real time into g.HIsys Basic or g.HIsys Professional for visualisation, storage and processing. Recordings made in the Unicorn BCI Core Recorder can be streamed over LSL directly into g.HIsys Professional, where the OSCAR LIVE add-on removes artefacts during the live measurement. This is what makes usable EEG possible from a walking cow or a jumping goat, and it is the same rapid prototyping environment that ships with hundreds of Simulink blocks for evoked potential, BCI, EEG, EMG and ECG experiments.

Animal neuroscience

For equine research the system supports studies of cognition, stress, emotional regulation, learning, pain perception and sleep, as well as EEG monitoring during surgery. In canine cognition research it offers a non-invasive route to real-time brain activity, informing training methods and the selection of therapy and service dogs. The same setup has been used to record from cats, alpacas, cows, goats and pigs, in each case with small gold cup electrodes placed through the fur.

Unity and gaming

Paired with the Unicorn Unity Bandpower Interface, the Core-8 becomes a controller for Android-based VR titles, including Meta Quest. Real-time bandpower feeds into Unity for mind-controlled interaction, and deployment covers Windows, macOS, Android, iOS and Android-based headsets. The Labyrinth game is available as a ready-made demonstration.

Typical uses

• Human EEG, EMG and ECG experiments with g.tec Suite 2024
• Equine, canine and other animal cognition and welfare research
• Sleep recording with gold cup electrodes
• Real-time BCI development in Python via g.Pype
• Brain-controlled Unity and VR applications
• Freely moving subject recordings with live artefact correction