Spotlight: Measuring Reflexes Using the EMG Reaction Timer!
Meet the EMG Reaction Timer!
The EMG Reaction Timer will settle once and for all who has the fastest draw in the west… or you can use it to perform neuroscience experiments, in the home or classroom, exploring how we respond to different kinds of stimuli! The Reaction Timer works with our EMG SpikerBox and Spike Recording Apps to give you the most precise measurement of how quickly you can react to a stimulus! There’s no buttons to press or rulers to catch, which can create a minor amount of lag, you just have to FLEX in response to the cue!
The EMG Reaction Timer is an expansion product that works with the EMG SpikerBox. You connect the EMG SpikerBox to the Reaction Timer, then connect the Reaction Timer to a Recording Device running a recording app. The Reaction Timer requires an Operator and a Test Subject. The operator controls when and what kinds of cues are present, while the test subject, while hooked up to the EMG SpikerBox, waits and responds to these cues by flexing their muscle. When the operator signals a cue, a tick mark (blip) is sent into the signal that marks the exact moment in time the cue was presented. To measure reaction times, you can go back into your recording, look for these blips, then measure the space between the tick mark and the beginning of the subject’s responsive flex.
Stimulate your test subject with two different colors of light in three different locations to test for visual reaction time. You can also emit a tone from the built in speaker or externally with headphones. Which will have a faster response? It is also possible to experiment with multiple stimuli at once for more complex experiments! Compare reaction times with your siblings, friends, colleagues, and enemies! You can even try to see which parts of your body you can respond with the quickest (the classic Leg vs Arm experiment…)
Check out the EMG Reaction Timer in our store and the “Getting Started with the Reaction Timer” experiment. You can find the iOS SpikeRecording app in the Apple AppStore!