China has conducted the first clinical trials of an invasive implant that reads brain signals to control electronics. A paralyzed patient was able to play computer games using only the power of thought. About this informs Bloomberg.
Chinese scientists have tested a brain-computer interface (BCI) for the first time on a person with tetraplegia, a form of paralysis in which the mobility of all four limbs is lost. A few weeks after the device was implanted, the patient was able to drive a computer and play racing simulators and chess using only brain signals. The Shanghai Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence said that BCI allows people with paralysis to partially recover lost functions.
The implant used in China is the smallest in the world: its diameter is 26 millimeters and its thickness is less than 6 millimeters. It is more than 100 times more flexible than the Neuralink analogue of Elon Musk’s company. The next stage of research will be to control the robotic arm – the patient must learn to pick up objects, such as a cup, only thanks to brain signals.
The project is implemented in cooperation with Huashan Hospital of Fudan University. A brain-computer interface (BCI) is a technology that provides communication between the human brain and external devices. It is used to help people with disabilities, in particular after injuries or diseases that lead to paralysis.
