BalanceBoardLSL

Get data from an adapted Wii Balanceboard or rotary dial and stream it to labstreaminglayer.

HIDlsl: Description

Overview

The HIDlsl application is designed for interfacing adapted balance boards and rotary force feedback devices with a PC. It utilizes SharpDX.DirectInput for hardware communication and Lab Streaming Layer (LSL) for data streaming to other software (e.g., MATLAB).

Key Features

• Detects and interfaces with adapted devices such as balance boards and rotary encoders.
• Streams data to external software in real-time using LSL.
• Configurable for multiple device types.

Getting Started

System Requirements

• Windows operating system
• Supported .NET Framework
• Lab Streaming Layer library
• SharpDX library

Installation

1. Clone or download the repository containing the application code.
2. Install the required dependencies using NuGet or your preferred package manager.

How to Run

1. Launch the application.
2. Connect your device (e.g., Adapted Balance Board or Rotary ForceFeed).
3. Select the device from the drop-down menu.
4. Click the "Link" button to start data streaming.

Application Details

Main Components

1. Device Detection

The application uses SharpDX.DirectInput to detect compatible devices:

• Adapted Balance Board: Identified under DeviceType.Joystick or DeviceType.Supplemental.
• Rotary ForceFeed: Identified based on product name containing "Micro".

2. Data Streaming

The application initializes an LSL stream with metadata describing the device and data channels. Sample data is collected from the device and streamed to external software.

Example MATLAB Plot

To correctly read XDF data in MATLAB, use the following:

load_xdf('your_data.xdf');
plot(double(bitshift(uint32(data'), -8)) / 2.7); % Convert to kg (approx.)

Device-Specific Behavior

Adapted Balance Board

• Streams 5 channels: bottom-left, top-left, top-right, bottom-right weights (in kilograms), and a sawtooth calibration signal.

Rotary ForceFeed

• Streams 2 channels: rotary position and sawtooth calibration signal.

LSL Metadata

The LSL stream metadata includes:

• Device author and manufacturer information.
• Channel labels, types, and units.

Development Notes

• Ensure device drivers are installed for successful detection.
• The application relies on buffered data acquisition for accurate sampling.

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

• Device Not Found: Ensure the device is connected and recognized by the system.
• Link Button Disabled: Indicates no compatible device was detected.

Contributing

Pull requests and contributions are welcome. Please follow the coding standards and include documentation for new features.

Author

M.M. Span
University of Groningen
markspan.github.io