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A Chinese-developed brain-computer interface has been tested on a monkey that allows it to control a robotic arm using only its thoughts.
On Thursday, a Chinese company unveiled a brain chip similar to that developed by Elon Musk's neurotech startup Neuralink.
According to Xinhua news agency, the company, Beijing Xinzhida Neurotech, has developed a brain-computer interface (BCI) implant that allows monkeys to control a robotic arm and grab strawberries with only their thoughts.
The report said that the "core brain chip" known as "Neucyber" was "independently developed by Chinese scientists" and was China's first "high-performance invasive brain-computer interface".
According to the Global Times, Neucyber consists of three core components – high-throughput flexible microelectrodes, two high-speed neural signal acquisition devices and a generative neural decoding algorithm, each of which was developed in China.
It is reported that this high-speed chip has low power consumption, and the computing power of intelligent visual object detection is 3,000 times that of current high-performance commercial chips.
Xinhua news agency quoted the China Brain Research Institute (CIBR) as saying that it was the co-developer of the NeuCyber system.
In addition, according to the enterprise database Qichacha, the controlling shareholder of Xinzhida Neurotechnology is the state-owned assets regulator of the Beijing municipal government.
The brains of the chips were unveiled at Beijing's annual technology-themed Zhongguancun Forum, and this year's focus also includes semiconductors, artificial intelligence, green technology and quantum computing.
While neither scientists nor Xinhua mentioned Musk's brain-chip startup, the unveiling highlights China's goal of catching up with Neuralink.
Previously, China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology listed brain-computer interface technology as an important "cutting-edge emerging technology" at the Zhongguancun Forum last year.
Neuralink has already implanted its brain chip into humans, while China has yet to begin human trials.
Scientists have questioned human trials of the Neuralink brain chip
According to Elon Musk's tweet on January 29, he wants to revolutionize brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) with Neuralink, which recently implanted a "brain-reading" device into the human body for the first time.
Brain-computer interfaces record and decode brain activity in order to allow severely paralyzed people to control computers, robotic arms, wheelchairs, or other devices using only their thoughts. In addition to Neuralink, other devices are also in development, some of which have already been tested on humans.
Neurotech researchers are cautiously excited about Neuralink's human trials, "What I want to see is that they can prove it's safe." It can effectively measure brain signals – short-term, but above all long-term," says Mariska Vansteensel, a neuroscientist at the Utrecht University Medical Center in the Netherlands and president of the International Association for Brain-Computer Interfaces.
But people are frustrated due to the lack of details. Aside from Musk's tweet, there is no confirmation that the trial has begun. The main source of public information about the trial is the research brochure that invites people to participate. Tim Dennison, a neuroengineer at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom, said details were lacking, such as where the implants were located and the exact results that the trial would evaluate.
The trial is not registered on ClinicalTrials.gov, an online repository managed by the National Institutes of Health. Many universities require researchers to register trials and their protocols in such public repositories before recruiting study participants. In addition, many medical journals make such registrations conditional on the publication of results, in line with ethical principles designed to protect those who voluntarily participate in clinical trials. Fremont, Calif.-based Neuralink did not respond to a request for comment from Nature magazine on why the trial was not registered on the site.
Nature looked at how Neuralink's implant compares to other BCI technologies and how the trial will advance BCI and the researchers' concerns.
Neuralink published little information about its trial goals and did not respond to a request for an interview with the journal Nature. But experts expect that safety is paramount at this stage. This includes observing the direct effects of the device — "no strokes, no bleeding, no vasculature damage and the like" — as well as infections, and long-term follow-up to check if the implanted device is still safe, Denison said.
Neuralink's research brochure says volunteers will be followed for 5 years. It also suggests that the trial will evaluate the functionality of the device, with volunteers using it at least twice a week to control the computer and give feedback on the experience.
Vansteensel wanted to know if the quality of the detected neuronal signals would degrade over time, which is common in existing devices. "You don't easily change the electrodes after implantation," she says, "and if a month from now, they show beautiful decoding results – that's impressive." But I'd like to see long-term results. ”
Denison is also keen to understand the performance of wireless systems that can be used in non-laboratory environments.
Human trials have already begun, and the safety and well-being of volunteers is a pressing issue. The trial was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), but Neuralink's previous application was denied. But some researchers are upset that the trial is not listed on ClinicalTrials.gov. "My assumption is that the FDA and Neuralink followed the playbook to some extent," Denison said, "but we don't have an agreement." So we don't know that. ”
Transparency is also important for the people BCI aims to help. Ian Burkhart, co-founder of the BCI Pioneer Alliance in Columbus, Ohio, was paralyzed after a broken neck in a diving accident and had a Blackrock array implanted in his brain for 7.5 years. He's excited about what Neuralink can accomplish. But, he said, "they can do better with how much information they post, rather than leaving everyone guessing." Especially for patients who are eagerly waiting for this technology to improve their lives. ”
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