1. Puzzlebox Bloom for Android can be downloaded from the Google Play store. Search for “Puzzlebox Bloom” or please click below:
2. The Puzzlebox Bloom has two power ports on the reverse side. The upper port is recommended to use with the included MicroUSB cable. The other end of the cable can be connected to any computer port or mobile device charger which supplies 1A or more. In practice any recent charger should supply at least this level. Directly connecting to a computer port is preferred over a USB hub (unless the hub is powered separately).
The lower port can be powered by most standard AC/DC adapters with voltage anywhere between 5-12V and 1A of current.
3. Once powered the Bloom should automatically open to approximately the half-way point.
3. After installing and launching the app, you will be presented with the Welcome screen. Navigating the app is possible from the menu at the upper-left corner of the screen. Please make sure Bluetooth is enabled for your device before proceeding.
3. The Session screen allows you to manage data collection performed by Puzzlebox Bloom. The “Session Profile” entry will be used as the default filename for exported data. The “Reset” button will restart the session timer and erase all current data in memory.
4. The EEG screen will allow you connect to a NeuroSky Mindwave Mobile or Interaxon EEG headset. First select the model from the drop-down menu, then click the “Connect EEG” button next to the menu.
The green “Sensor Contact” bar will indicate how well the EEG sensors are making contact with your skin. This bar should be as full as possible in order to measure brainwaves cleanly. Under each active algorithm is a slider bar which establishes your target mental state. You can practice finding your preferred setting on this screen.
5. The Bloom screen is used to connect to and control the Puzzlebox Bloom. Begin by pressing “Connect Bloom” and once established the distance from the Bloom should be measured by the “Range” meter. You can manually slide the “Bloom” slider to open and close the Bloom or press the “Demo” button to cycle through all possible colors.
Set your desired algorithm targets the same as with the EEG screen. Any time you are past the target the Bloom will begin to open and turn the color of the algorithm’s meter. Any time you are below the target the Bloom will begin to close and the color will fade.
6. At the upper-right corner of the Session, EEG, and Bloom screens is the Share icon which will allow data to be exported by Puzzlebox Bloom and uploaded to popular cloud services including Dropbox, Google Drive, Box, and email contacts.
7. Feedback can be submitted directly to Puzzlebox via the Support screen. Please make sure internet connectivity is available before pressing the send.
8. Bloom exports session data in CSV format, which can be opened by most spreadsheet applications. Default settings will work in most instances. Settings for LibreOffice (free, open-source software available for PC, Mac, and Linux) are shown below.
9. Example data is show below. For LibreOffice charts can be created by selecting the desired columns and visiting “Insert -> Chart”
10. Multiple visual styles are available for experimentation.