Last Updated on January 14, 2023 by pg@petergamma.org
If we look a the costs of the OpenBCI components in the Aliexpress store, it seems that they are linked to the costs for the single channel EEG products. It does not matter so much, to buy 8 individual single EEG modules, or one 8 channel OpenBCI Cyton board in an Aliexpress store.
The sellers of theses Aliexpress store seem to have the goal to offer low-cost OpenBCI modules to people which do not have a lot of money, and do not need support. Do we risk that if we buy OpenBCI modules from Aliexpress shops, that as soon as more costumer do this, that they rise the costs for their products?
We are currently evaluating which components to buy for our project. We doubt about that we will order large quantities of these OpenBCI modules. We suppose the costs for OpenBCI modules on Aliexpress stay low. Since if more costumers buy OpenBCI modules on Aliexpress, and these sellers raise their prices, people which do not have a lot of money would change to single channel EEG modules, as we will do in this case, which lowers the sales of OpenBCI products sold in Aliexpress shops, and makes it pointless.
We therefore suppose that the prize for OpenBCI modules sold on Aliexpress stay low, will not increase, and will rather drop. When Scott W. Harden developed his sound card ECG a view years ago, the costs of the AD8232 chip which is used in his ECG device where between 20 – 30 USD dollars on Amazon, now, the AD8232 module costs only a view dollars on Aliexpress. Only view people buy ECG modules, and only view people buy EEG modules, we think the situation is similar.
We suppose that the prizes for OpenBCI modules develop similar to the AD8232. The prizes will drop. From what we have learned, the prizes will not raise.
We have observed from that the 16/32 channel EEG module which was brought on the market, the prize for this module was first around 600 USD, and had serveral options, as for instance 16 or 32 channel. After the Emotiv Epoc Flex with 32 channels came on the market the multi channel EEG modules on Aliexpress became more expensive, and the prize was linked to the Emotiv Epoc Flex module, and only one variant was offered, it is the one with 32 channels.
There is also a paper which discusses the market for EEG devices. The conclusion of the paper was, that it is not possible to lower the costs for EEG devices, and they remain high. We have not read the whole paper, since the paper could not convince us. Reality shows something different. If we compare prizes, then we can see that sellers in Aliexpress store can offer OpenBCI modules which are low cost. Much lower costs than they have if bought from www.open.bci.com . And we have no reason for the assumption, that the modules on Aliexpress have a lower quality than those sold by OpenBCI. If they are based on the same circuit, they should be exactly the same.
We did not compare warranty times of the different offers we discuss here. Products on Aliexpress generally offer for instance a 30 day money back waranty. We can send the modules back, if we are not happy with it. Sellers on Aliexpress seem to care to sell low-cost modules. www.open.bci.com seem not to care about selling the most low cost modules.
Aliexpress sellers seem not to care so much about documentation and a support forum. But the documentation of OpenBCI is open, everyone can change it. So why should the Aliexpress sellers care about a new documentation? They should only care about one, if they produce products which are completely new. And since these are not products which are sold by www.open.bci.com the should document it elsewhere. And if they want to support it, they should do it elsewhere than at www.open.bci.com
From what we have learned, the OpenBCI modules on Aliexpress are low-cost high quality. They seem to care for instance to ship the modules on the optimal way as far as costs are concerned. And they offer their products at a much lower price than www.open.bci.com
From what we have learned, OpenBCI modules on Aliexpress are for people who are looking for the most affordable modules, which do not need a support.