"Calling" Musk, Zhejiang University's "Dream Team" joined hands to enter the brain-computer interface technology

The field of brain-computer interface is undoubtedly one of the hottest outlets at the moment, and even Elon Musk is constantly trying to make technological breakthroughs. The reporter learned that recently, the two top teams of Zhejiang University have joined forces through signing a contract to achieve key technological breakthroughs in the field of brain-computer applications with a completely different technical route from Elon Musk, and help implement the "Chinese Brain Plan".

Two technical routes

Last year, Neuralink, a well-known brain-computer interface research company owned by Musk, released its first product: a new technology for "posterior brain intubation" through a video of experimentation. Specifically, through a neurosurgical robot, it is safe and painless to perforate the head like minimally invasive eye surgery, quickly implant a chip into the brain, and then read the brain signal directly through the USB-C interface and can be controlled with an iPhone.

Neuralink implants brain-computer chips into monkey brains and uses chips to analyze neuronal activity, allowing monkeys to play games with "consciousness". The video shows that the test monkey successfully implemented the normal operation of the game with the blessing of the brain-computer chip. After the success of the trial, Musk publicly stated that he would apply to the US Food and Drug Administration for human trials and planned to complete human clinical trials this year.

It is reported that there are two different technical routes in the field of brain-computer interface technology, one is the invasive brain-computer interface technology that Musk is exploring; the other is the non-invasive brain-computer interface technology, through wearing the device, the system can collect and process the human body's EEG signals and EMG signals.

Invasive brain-computer interface technology has received widespread attention under Musk's "promotion", but the scientific community is more inclined to believe that non-invasive brain-computer interface technology does not need to cause wounds on the implanter's body, is more ethically more acceptable to the general public, and the maintenance cost is low, and it is expected to surpass the former and become the mainstream brain-computer interface technology in the future.

Two key technical thresholds

"However, there are two key technical thresholds for non-invasive brain-computer interface technology." Dai Yanyi, director of the Brain Science Research Center of the Institute of Computer Innovation Technology of Zhejiang University and founder & CEO of Hangzhou Younuo Technology Co., Ltd., explained, "One is in the collection of EEG signals, how to accurately collect enough EEG signals without invading the brain; the other is in the decoding and processing of EEG data, that is, how to decode and analyze after collecting enough EEG signals." ”

The two major technical problems have attracted many scientific teams around the world to continue to tackle the problem. Recently, two top teams of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou Younuo Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Younuo Technology") and Hangzhou Gelanfeng Nano Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Gelanfeng Nano Technology"), announced that they are determined to overcome these two major technical problems.

Granfeng Nano Technology is the first graphene-related company in Zhejiang Province, founded by Professor Lin Shisheng of the School of Information and Electronics of Zhejiang University, and doctoral supervisor. Granfeng Nano Technology is committed to the big health wearable electronic products, is a high-tech enterprise in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province small and medium-sized technology enterprises, in the graphene smart wearable products to create intelligent far infrared heating scarf / clothing and other new health products, authorized a number of invention patents.

Yunuo Technology is a Chinese original brain science and technology startup company, and its most basic underlying technology comes from the doctoral technical team of the "Double Brain Project" of Zhejiang University. Founder & CEO Dai Yanyi is also the director of the Brain Science Research Center of the Institute of Computer Innovation Technology of Zhejiang University.

The two companies represent the top technical strength of Zhejiang University in the field of graphene terminal application and brain science.

Two "Dream Teams" with their own strengths

Graphene is one of the strongest materials ever tested, about 100 times stronger than the equivalent thickness of steel, and has unique electrical and thermal conductivity. International teams have used the characteristics of graphene to achieve ultra-high signal resolution at an unprecedented level.

Professor Lin Shisheng said that EEG signals are low-frequency electromagnetic waves caused by neuronal firing. The collaboration will leverage graphene's unique conductivity to capture high-quality EEG signals in a wear-and-patch manner, challenging the acquisition level of invasive EEG interface technology. Moreover, the flexibility of graphene will also help to achieve portability of the acquisition device. Professor Lin Shisheng said that graphene is the thinnest and lightest material in the world, and it has always been the dream of the graphene industry to move towards high-end applications. Graphene sensors have good advantages in terms of brainwave measurement and signal reading.

If the advantage of Galanfeng Nanotechnology lies in the great health and EEG signal acquisition, then the advantage of Yunuo Technology lies in the decoding and analysis of EEG signals. It is reported that since the establishment of Younuo Technology, it has attracted a number of top EEG technology experts at home and abroad to join, has the world's leading EEG signal decoding algorithm, launched a neuroscience multi-modal big data platform, medical EEG AI data services and other products, and achieved a key breakthrough in the field of brain control upper limb robot.

Dr. Dai said that brain-computer interface technology has been shown to help improve the diagnosis and treatment of various brain diseases such as epilepsy and Parkinson's. This joint effort means that the scientific research team of Zhejiang University will promote the application of graphene materials in the brain-computer industry chain in the field of brain-computer applications, and further promote the localization of medical devices and the improvement of the level of diagnosis and treatment of brain diseases. "After the technology matures, clinical trials will be carried out in the medical service institutions of Zhejiang University."

Brain science research has become a global consensus, and the United States, China, Japan, the European Union and other countries and regions have issued policy support. In the Outline of the National Medium- and Long-term Science and Technology Development Plan (2006-2020), the mainland for the first time included "brain science and cognition" as one of the eight frontier issues of basic research, marking that brain science research has risen to the level of national science development strategy.

Dr. Dai Yanyi said: "What we ultimately want to do is to establish a world-class EEG data standard with the team of Zhejiang University, on behalf of Zhejiang, and export China's EEG technology to all parts of the world." ”