China has achieved a technological milestone by successfully conducting its first brain-computer interface experiment on a monkey. This technology makes it possible to translate the electrical signals emitted by the brain into commands that can be used to control a machine. This technology is being developed to help people with motor disabilities to interact with their environment and improve their quality of life.
What is a brain-computer interface (BCI)?
A brain-computer interface (BCI) is a device that connects the brain with a computer. It allows users to control a machine, such as a robotic arm, simply by thinking about the movement they want to make. These devices can be invasive or non-invasive. Invasive BCIs require implantation of electrodes into the brain, while non-invasive ones are placed on the surface of the scalp.
BCI techniques used in the experiment
The China experiment used the technique of interventional BCI, which connects the brain to the computer through minimally invasive surgery. In this case, an electroencephalogram (EEG) was placed on the cerebrovascular wall of a monkey to collect EEG signals. These signals allowed active control of a robotic arm with the monkey’s thoughts.
Interventional BCI is less invasive than invasive BCI, which requires surgery on the head. However, according to industry experts, invasive BCI provides the most accurate EEG signal of the three methods.
On the other hand, non-invasive BCIs use an EEG cap to collect brain signals through the scalp. Although they are safer than invasive methods, the quality of the EEG signal is lower.
BCI technology has applications in fields such as medicine and robotics. In addition to helping people with motor disabilities, its use in direct brain communication, vehicle driving, and other futuristic applications is being investigated.
Is it like Neuralink?
The technology developed by Neuralink and that of the Chinese researchers have some similarities, as both focus on the brain-computer interface (BCI) to improve the quality of life of people with motor dysfunction. However, there are also significant differences in the approach of each group.
Neuralink focuses on implantable chip technology for brain recording and stimulation. The company has developed implantable chips that can record and transmit brain signals to external devices, allowing control of the devices with the mind. Neuralink has demonstrated its technology in experiments with pigs and monkeys, suggesting that it could one day be used to help people with motor disabilities control their devices with their minds.
On the other hand, the experiment of the Chinese researchers focuses on the interventional BCI technique for the decoding of brain signals. In this case, the researchers used a minimally invasive technique to connect a monkey’s brain to a computer and allow the movement of a robotic arm to be controlled with the animal’s thoughts.
The report states that this technological breakthrough in the field of BCI demonstrates that China is at the forefront of the “technological war” with the United States. Although the United States has an advantage in invasive BCI technology, China is a leader in decoding non-invasive brain signals and applying brain-computer systems.
