Why is Facial Expression (FE) data not available or exportable when using the Emotiv MN8 headset?

The Emotiv MN8 headset is optimized for passive brain monitoring and cognitive performance tracking. However, it’s important to note some limitations when it comes to Facial Expression (FE) data, especially when compared to other multi-channel EEG systems like the EPOC X or Insight.

Why FE Data Is Limited on MN8

The MN8 has only two EEG sensors positioned in the ear canals, which significantly reduces the system’s ability to capture muscle movements that are typically used for detecting facial expressions. Expressions like eye blinks, winks, frowns, and surprise don’t generate strong enough deflections at the ear canal electrodes to be reliably detected. This limitation is due to both:

• Sensor positioning: The ear canal location is not optimal for capturing typical facial EMG signals.
• Lack of sensor redundancy: With only two electrodes, it’s challenging to triangulate or differentiate complex facial movements—especially outside the horizontal eye movement plane.
  

As a result, FE data has been disabled in MN8, while our focus remains on delivering highly accurate Mental Performance Metrics (such as cognitive attention or stress). On the bright side, the location of MN8 sensors offers cleaner EEG signals, less prone to contamination by many common facial muscle artifacts—making it ideal for long-duration passive EEG monitoring.

Artifact Awareness and EEG Use

While MN8 is not suited for full facial expression analysis, artifacts like jaw clenching, smirks, and horizontal eye movements may still appear in the data as notable signal deflections. This can be helpful if your application relies on general muscle activity awareness. However, if your primary goal is artifact detection or detailed EEG signal correction (e.g., for blink rejection or EMG removal), a higher-density EEG system like the EPOC X may be more appropriate.

Tell Us More About Your Use Case

If you’re using MN8 for applications that require precise artifact detection or access to raw EEG for scientific analysis, we’d love to learn more about your use case. This will help us recommend the best headset and software solution for your needs—whether it’s EEG-focused research, neurofeedback, or mental performance monitoring.