What is the Unicorn Hybrid Black?

The Unicorn Hybrid Black is a wearable, wireless 8-channel EEG headset and complete brain-computer interface platform from g.tec medical engineering. It was built for researchers, engineers, students, educators and developers who need research-grade EEG without the setup overhead of a traditional laboratory system, and who want direct, unrestricted access to the raw signal.

Electrode positions are optimised for the standard BCI paradigms of motor imagery, P300, SSVEP and VEP. The hybrid electrodes can be used completely dry for a setup that takes minutes, or with conductive gel when maximum signal quality matters. Everything ships in one bundle: the amplifier, eight hybrid electrodes, cap, Bluetooth dongle and the full Unicorn Suite software environment, with lifetime software access and no subscription fees.

Key Features

• 8 wireless EEG channels: 24-bit DC-coupled acquisition at 250 Hz per channel with oversampling for a high signal-to-noise ratio.
• Hybrid wet and dry electrodes: Record dry for a fast setup, or apply gel when you need the lowest possible contact impedance. The same electrodes handle both.
• BCI-optimised montage: Electrode locations chosen specifically to support motor imagery, P300, SSVEP and VEP paradigms out of the box.
• Open development ecosystem: Python, C, .NET, Android, Unity and MATLAB Simulink APIs, plus LSL and UDP streaming for integration into existing pipelines.
• Full raw data access: No locked ecosystem and no restrictions on how EEG data is accessed, processed, streamed or stored.
• Truly wireless: Bluetooth connection, 56 g headset weight and more than three hours of battery runtime for recordings outside the lab.
• Motion sensors included: 3-axis accelerometer and 3-axis gyroscope for movement artefact tracking and gesture-based interaction.
• No recurring fees: Unicorn Suite and all included APIs come with lifetime access.

From first EEG recording to a working BCI

Most users do not start with a finished brain-computer interface. They start by recording their first EEG signal. The Unicorn Hybrid Black is designed to support that whole trajectory: record and visualise EEG within minutes using Unicorn Recorder, then move into neurofeedback, real-time classification, machine learning and application development as the project grows.

This is demonstrated repeatedly at g.tec's BR41N.IO hackathons, where students, researchers and developers build working BCI applications in 24 hours because the acquisition, processing and software infrastructure is already in place.

The Unicorn Suite software environment

Every Unicorn Hybrid Black includes Unicorn Suite: Unicorn Recorder for acquisition, filtering, artefact suppression and storage; Unicorn Bandpower for real-time visualisation of delta, theta, beta and gamma activity; the Concentration Performance Index; and the Brain Buddy, Platformer and Puzzle BCI applications. The C and .NET APIs and the LSL and UDP interface apps are included as standard, with the Speller, Python API, Simulink Interface, Unity Interface and Blondy Check available as add-ons.

Validated in peer-reviewed research

Researchers at Michigan State University validated the Unicorn Hybrid Black against a high-end laboratory EEG system and found it delivers reliable measurements for frequency analysis while enabling recordings outside the laboratory. Published work using the system covers P300-based robot and drone control, real-time image ranking, and real-time estimation of engagement, with reported online accuracies above 90 percent.

Typical uses

• Motor imagery, P300, SSVEP and VEP brain-computer interfaces
• Neurofeedback and attention or concentration training
• Cognitive neuroscience and human-computer interaction studies
• Machine learning and AI research on EEG features
• Brain-controlled gaming, VR and robotics prototypes
• University teaching and student projects in biomedical engineering