Delhi Entrepreneur Creates DIY Neuroscience Kits That Let Users Control Drones and Games With Their Mind
DIY Neuroscience Kits Revolutionize Learning: 5 Ways Students Control Drones With Their Mind
In a revolutionary move bridging neuroscience and DIY technology, Delhi-based entrepreneur Deepak Khatri has launched Upside Down Labs, a startup that creates affordable neuroscience kits for students, hobbyists, and researchers. Inspired by shows like Stranger Things, these kits allow users to record brain and body signals and transform them into digital commands—enabling tasks like flying drones or playing video games such as GTA V with the mind.
Founded in 2020, Upside Down Labs is democratizing access to neuroscience experiments, traditionally locked behind expensive lab equipment.
How the DIY Neuroscience Kits Work
The DIY kits, priced as low as Rs 499, record biopotential signals from the human body including:
EEG (Brainwaves)
EMG (Muscle activity)
EOG (Eye movement and blinks)
ECG (Heartbeats)
These signals are converted into digital data, enabling users to build real-time human-computer interfaces. With minimal technical experience, students can:
Monitor heart and muscle activity
Control drones using thoughts or gestures
Play video games using mental commands
Conduct research-level neuroscience experiments
Deepak emphasizes that the kits aim to break the cost barrier of neuroscience, traditionally accessible only to advanced labs or universities with equipment costing lakhs to crores.
“Universities have expensive tools that are often locked away. If students only study theory, how can they truly become neuroscientists?” Deepak explains.
The Vision Behind Upside Down Labs
Upside Down Labs is on a mission to democratize neuroscience learning. The kits allow anyone—from school students to hobbyists—to explore brain-computer interfaces and understand the human nervous system practically.
Deepak believes hands-on experience is key: learning theory alone cannot equip future neuroscientists or innovators. By making neuroscience accessible, the startup empowers a new generation of learners to explore cognitive computing, AI integration, and biomedical technology.
About Deepak Khatri: The Founder
Born in Dudhwa, Haryana, Deepak moved to Delhi at age two. He grew up in a supportive middle-class family, with a homemaker mother and a father working in the government.
In 2020, he graduated with a Bachelor of Engineering in Biotechnology from NSUT, New Delhi. Leveraging the university’s Choice-Based Credit System, he explored subjects in Electronics, Computer Science, Mathematics, and core biotech courses like Genetics and Computational Biology.
Deepak credits his early curiosity to his school teachers and parents. From childhood, he experimented with electronics, disassembling broken devices and building circuits from scrap components. These formative experiences laid the foundation for his DIY neuroscience venture.
Challenges and Innovation
Building a startup at the intersection of biology, electronics, and coding was not easy. Deepak had to:
Learn hardware-software integration
Develop cost-effective sensors for biopotential recording
Ensure the kits were safe, accurate, and easy to use
Despite these hurdles, Upside Down Labs has emerged as a pioneering startup, inspiring students to explore brain-computer interfaces and neuroscience at home.
The Future of Upside Down Labs
Upside Down Labs plans to:
Expand its kit range for advanced research
Introduce educational programs and workshops
Partner with schools and makerspaces to integrate neuroscience in curriculum
Innovate applications in gaming, robotics, and medical diagnostics
Deepak envisions a future where DIY neuroscience becomes mainstream, making complex brain-computer experiments accessible to every curious mind.
FAQs
Who founded Upside Down Labs?
Deepak Khatri, Delhi-based entrepreneur.What do the kits do?
Record EEG, EMG, EOG, ECG signals and convert them into digital commands.Can I control devices using these kits?
Yes, users can fly drones, control robots, and play games using brain or muscle signals.When was Upside Down Labs founded?
In 2020.What is the price of the DIY kits?
Starting at Rs 499.Who can use the kits?
Students, hobbyists, educators, and researchers.Why are these kits important?
They democratize neuroscience learning, making advanced experiments affordable.Does Deepak have a science background?
Yes, a BE in Biotechnology from NSUT, Delhi.Are the kits safe for home use?
Yes, designed for safe use by students and hobbyists.What inspired the startup?
Pop culture (Stranger Things) and the desire to make neuroscience accessible.
