IMMERSE Joins First Cohort of Researchers Using OpenBCI Biosensing Technology

⁠The IMMERSE Center for Immersive Computing at the University of Illinois is one of just ten research labs selected for the inaugural OpenBCI Galea Discovery Program. By integrating virtual reality with real-time EEG, eye tracking, heart activity, muscle activity, skin response, and motion sensing in one device, the Galea system can be applied to a number of cutting-edge research and applications.

Housed in the IMMERSE research lab, the system will give Illinois researchers a platform for investigating and measuring how people think, feel, and behave in an immersive environment.

IMMERSE Director Sarita Adve (L) looks on as Joe Artuso (R), President and CCO of OpenBCI, demonstrates the OpenBCI Galea headset at the IMMERSE Symposium, April 2026

“The Galea system will allow us to assess user experiences in XR with a multitude of biosignals in realtime. We cannot wait to see the research that this device enables.”

Sarita Adve, Richard T. Cheng Professor, Siebel School of Computing and Data Science and IMMERSE Director

One project is being led by Psychology professor Adam Steel and collaborators. Their research will explore how people develop the internal spatial representations that help them learn and navigate the world. The goal is to build a model that uses behavioral and physiological signatures to inform AI spatial representation, with further applications in the clinical and technological fields.

Photo Credit: J. Planey, Siebel School of Computing and Data Science J. Metz, IMMERSE Assistant Director for Infrastructure, testing the OpenBCI Galea device in the IMMERSE lab. — Photo Credit: *J. Planey, Siebel School of Computing and Data Science*
J. Metz, IMMERSE Assistant Director for Infrastructure, testing the OpenBCI Galea device in the IMMERSE lab.

Other planned projects include medical applications, experience-driven system design, and experiments that require measuring attention, stress or cognitive load during immersive experiences. IMMERSE has also been working closely with OpenBCI developers, offering feedback on the device and its data collection capabilities.

Looking ahead, IMMERSE is collaborating with several teams to explore the technology and establish responsible data practices. Together, these efforts will demonstrate how user experience assessment via integrated biosensing can contribute to the future of immersive computing research.

Affiliations

Sarita Adve is an Illinois Grainger Engineering director of IMMERSE and a Richard T. Cheng professor of computer science.

Adam Steel is an Illinois professor of Psychology and an affiliate of the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology.

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This story was published September 25, 2026.