The world of the future must be where man and machine coexist. However, in the mode of coexistence, the two-way interaction between man and machine through the "brain-computer interface" is undoubtedly the most sci-fi one.
Many people's understanding of brain-computer interfaces began with the movie "The Matrix": humans insert connectors in the back of the brain and enter a virtual "mother world". With the connector, external information can be fed into the brain, and information from the brain can be transmitted to the outside.
At present, the technical research and application research on brain-computer interface at home and abroad are in the stage of development, and many "incredible" scenarios have become a reality.
For example, three days ago, the brain-computer interface team of Zhejiang University released the latest research results - through invasive brain-computer interface, a 76-year-old high paraplegic patient realized the use of "mind" to control the robotic arm to write Chinese characters.
Among the latest research results released at the Zhongguancun Forum, there are also amazing brain-computer interface technologies. The "Beinao-2", independently developed by mainland scientists, has realized the dexterous brain control of the two-dimensional moving cursor by macaques for the first time in the world.
Although most of the brain-computer interfaces are still in the laboratory and there is still a certain distance from the real industrialization, they have become one of the representatives of the future industry, and the development trend has been sharp. In the "Implementation Opinions on Promoting the Innovation and Development of Future Industries" jointly issued by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and other seven departments this year, brain-computer interface was also listed as an "innovative landmark product".
At this year's Zhongguancun Forum, the top brain-computer interface scientists in China came. Regarding the question of when and how to "shine into reality" of brain-computer interfaces, Red Star News reporters chatted with 5 experts respectively.
Write with "minds".
The most difficult part is decoding the EEG signals
Brain-computer interface, in fact, is the information connection path created between humans and machines. By decoding the EEG signals and converting them into command signals that can be recognized by the machine, the information exchange between humans and machines is realized.
As soon as the technical achievements of the Zhejiang University team in writing Chinese characters with "ideas" were announced, they immediately detonated the Internet. Four years ago, the team's technology has realized the control of the robotic arm to hold drinks and eat fritters through brain-computer interfaces.
At the Zhongguancun Forum, the reporter had a dialogue with Pan Gang, one of the main participants in this technological achievement, Professor of Zhejiang University and Director of the National Key Laboratory of Brain-Computer Intelligence. He told reporters that the biggest breakthrough in this technology is that it can use algorithms to decode the EEG signals when people write Chinese characters.
When a person thinks about strokes and controls the body to write Chinese characters, this "thought" is actually an EEG signal. Only by identifying it and decoding it can human control of the machine be realized.
"We have now done more than 100 Chinese character recognition," Pan said. In the offline state, the classification accuracy rate of 100 commonly used Chinese characters reached 91.3%, and with the help of language models, the online accuracy rate can be increased to 96.2%. In fact, the amount of Chinese characters can be expanded, "but after it is expanded, the accuracy will drop a little." ”
Pan Gang
Brain-computer interfaces are classified as invasive and non-invasive. Invasively, a chip is implanted in the brain, and the latter, a non-invasive wearable smart device. "Because the non-invasive signal accuracy is weaker, in the field of clinical medical applications, the use of brain-computer interface to realize the patient's 'mind' to control the machine's actions is more invasive." "But non-intrusive commercial applications are more prevalent and favorable, and the audience is more receptive.
How far is the brain-computer interface from real industrialization?
Pan Gang told reporters that the brain-computer interface project that his team cooperated with another company, which is mainly applied to epilepsy patients, is now being incubated. "More than 20 patients have been done in clinical trials, and about 100 people will be done next, and then the effect will be evaluated. ”
When it comes to industrialization, this can only be regarded as an early stage.
Brain-computer interfaces are in demand in the medical field. A large number of patients, especially the paralyzed and disabled, regard it as a "ray of hope", and the market demand is actually very high, but clinical trials are a long-term process.
There are too many problems that need to be tested and optimized through clinical trials. For example, "brain tissue is a very soft tissue, and it is a big test to achieve a flexible implant close to the softness of brain tissue," said Gao Xiaorong, a tenured professor at Tsinghua University.
According to Zhao Jizong, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and a neurosurgeon, brain-computer interfaces provide a new path for the treatment of neurological diseases, and can provide new treatments in terms of enhanced function, sensory recovery, epilepsy monitoring, and depression diagnosis and treatment.
Zhao Jizong
However, he also believes that the application of brain-computer interfaces is still in the clinical trial stage, and many technical and ethical issues have yet to be resolved. Just like the research and development of countless innovative drugs, they need to go through a "long-distance race" of 5 years, 10 years or even longer. The research and development of brain-computer interfaces is mostly still in the laboratory, with specific environments, specific equipment, specific operators and experiments. "There are still many steps to be taken to get to the point where they are as universally available as fever reducers. ”
Will brain-computer interfaces replace mobile phones in the future?
Although there are still many challenges to the industrialization of invasive brain-computer interfaces. However, in the view of Ming Dong, vice president of Tianjin University, in terms of the industrialization process, the non-invasive brain-computer interface will be much earlier than the invasive one, "because it is safer, more portable, and more widely used." ”
In fact, in addition to the serious medical field, brain-computer interfaces are widely used in education, entertainment, health and even military fields. For example, in the field of health, people can use wearable brain-computer interface devices to let machines read their sleep, breathing, mood swings, etc., and intervene to a certain extent. For another example, some of the communication of astronauts in space is also achieved through brain-computer interface technology.
"If the development of brain-computer interfaces is very fast, in the scenario of the metaverse, wearing a pair of glasses or equipment may be able to replace mobile phones", Gao Xiaorong believes that after the promotion of the metaverse, it is not impossible for mobile phones to disappear completely in the future.
Gao Xiaorong
Gu Xiaosong, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, believes that the key to whether the brain-computer interface will become a new terminal lies in whether the cost can be reduced and whether everyone can afford it.
It cannot be denied that brain-computer interfaces have now entered a technological explosion period. Regardless of the future applications, the top priority now is to further improve performance and overcome technical bottlenecks. Ming Dong said that for brain-computer interfaces, they cannot be toyed or specially concepted. It's a good thing to bloom everywhere, but we must maintain a calm attitude and "not overdraw society's confidence in brain-computer interfaces in advance."
Red Star News reporter Wang Yao photo report
Edited by Yuyi Lee
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