Brain-computer interfaces Photo: TUCHONG

Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) have been dubbed the “information superhighway” between the human brain and the external world. As a frontier technology in next-generation human-computer interaction and hybrid human-machine intelligence, BCIs are poised to become a transformative industry—one with the potential to drive socioeconomic development while advancing public health and improving quality of life.

Evolution of BCIs

A brain-computer interface creates a direct communication pathway between the human brain and an external device, enabling what is often referred to as “mind control.” When the brain engages in cognitive activity, neurons discharge, generating electrical signals known as brain waves. A BCI detects and interprets these brain waves to read the user’s intentions, facilitating interaction between humans and machines—or between the brain and the surrounding environment.

In recent years, advances in biomedical engineering, neural and rehabilitation engineering, cognitive neuroscience, psychology, and artificial intelligence have all accelerated the technical development of BCIs. At the same time, the pace of industrialization has picked up significantly. At the opening match of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, a paraplegic youth named Juliano Pinto delivered the ceremonial kickoff using a BCI-assisted exoskeleton. In 2016, Chinese astronauts aboard the Shenzhou-11 spacecraft conducted the nation’s first space-based brain-computer interaction experiment. International teams have since helped patients achieve once-unimaginable feats—such as “mind typing” and “mind speaking”—through BCI technologies.

BCI development has been steady rather than explosive—an accumulative process that stretches back decades. As early as the 1960s, scientists began exploring connections between brain waves and computers. Using electroencephalography (EEG) to record and analyze brain signals, they attempted to achieve basic interaction with external devices, though the technology remained rudimentary. In 1973, American computer science professor Jacques J. Vidal formally proposed the term “brain-computer interface” in an academic journal. By the 1990s, advances in computer science and neuroscience enabled early experiments in brain-controlled devices. A milestone came in 1998, when researchers successfully trained a monkey to manipulate a mechanical arm using brain signals. While equipment at that stage remained bulky and decoding accuracy was limited, these experiments laid crucial groundwork for future breakthroughs. The now widely accepted concept of BCIs took shape around 2000. Today, BCIs have emerged as a leading research frontier in neuroscience, brain science, biomedical engineering, and beyond.

Divergent approaches, converging progress

BCI technologies generally follow two technical pathways: invasive pathway and non-invasive pathway. Invasive BCIs require surgical implantation of electrodes directly into the cerebral cortex to capture neural signals. While they offer high spatial resolution and a strong signal-to-noise ratio, these devices involve significant safety risks, high costs, and potential immune or healing complications. Over time, these biological reactions may degrade or even eliminate the quality of recorded signals.

Neuralink, a U.S.-based company, represents a leading example of invasive BCI technology. In early 2024, its founder Elon Musk announced that the first human patient implanted with a Neuralink brain chip had fully recovered. In China, invasive BCI technologies are also being explored across a range of applications. In external device control, a team at Zhejiang University has enabled a robotic arm to write Chinese characters using an invasive BCI. In medical rehabilitation, researchers at Tsinghua University have developed a wireless, minimally invasive BCI system that can be placed on the brain’s sensorimotor cortex. This technology helps spinal cord injury patients regain hand function, enabling tasks such as moving a cursor, operating a wheelchair, or drinking water independently. In the area of language decoding, Huashan Hospital and its research partners have carried out clinical trials involving real-time motion and speech decoding. These efforts have enabled intelligent “brain-controlled” devices and opened up the possibility of direct “thought-to-thought” communication. Though complex and high-risk, BCIs are poised to yield major breakthroughs in medical and scientific research.

Non-invasive BCIs, by contrast, collect neural signals using electrodes placed on the scalp. They offer clear advantages: ease of use, low cost, no surgical risk, and no immune response. These systems monitor the activity of groups of neurons by detecting brain wave patterns on the scalp. However, attenuation by the skull and other tissues, combined with the dispersion of neural electromagnetic waves, leads to low spatial resolution, weak signal amplitude, and a lower signal-to-noise ratio—posing challenges for accurate decoding and requiring more advanced signal processing.

China has made notable advances in non-invasive BCI research, reaching internationally competitive levels in recent years. In terms of core components, Tianjin University and China Electronics Corporation jointly developed “Brain Talker,” the world’s first BCI encoding and decoding chip with fully independent intellectual property (IP). In the field of neural rehabilitation, the “Shen Gong” full-spectrum product line of BCI medical devices has been launched, pioneering the concept of “brain-machine-body” synergy for neural function reconstruction, enabling active training to achieve synchronized integration and coordination of cortical and muscular activities. This represents a significant breakthrough in the field of motor rehabilitation. In special-use environments such as manned spaceflight, China’s sixth-generation space station has carried out in-orbit electroencephalogram-based brain function assessment and regulation projects. These initiatives focus on monitoring cognitive load, brain fatigue, and alertness in orbit, and have successfully completed the first phase of testing using technologies with fully independent IP. On the consumer front, China has launched its first comprehensive open-source software platform—Meta BCI, establishing an intelligent ecological industrial platform spanning medical care, education, entertainment, defense, and transportation.

Given their safety and ease of use, non-invasive BCIs appeal to a broader user base and offer greater potential for widespread application. They are expected to reshape human lifestyles and transform production modes in fields ranging from medical care and research to industry, education, entertainment, and national defense. It is worth noting that the “on-chip brain-computer interface,” which involves cultivating brain-like tissues on electrode chips, has introduced a new concept for the development of BCI technologies. The Haihe Laboratory of Brain-Computer Interaction and Human-Machine Integration has successfully created a “brain-like organ” with biological intelligence outside the human body. This “artificial brain” has demonstrated visual perception and autonomous control over tasks such as obstacle avoidance, target tracking, and object grasping in robotic systems, achieving a variety of brain-inspired computational breakthroughs. As an emerging subfield of BCIs, these on-chip systems hold great promise for exploring the fusion interaction between life forms and non-life forms of the next generation as well as new applications in major national demand areas such as hybrid intelligence, brain-like intelligence, and medical rehabilitation.

Building a BCI innovation ecosystem

BCIs draw upon advanced theories and cutting-edge technologies across a wide range of disciplines, including medicine, computer science, electronics, mechanics, and material science. Within this long and complex technological chain, even a single weak link can impede progress toward large-scale industrialization. In China, the BCI sector remains in its incubation phase, but it is rapidly evolving and attracting growing attention.

In recent years, researchers have worked to develop more natural models of brain-computer interaction, gradually enabling users to express intentions freely and intuitively. Meanwhile, BCI applications have expanded into diverse fields—including healthcare, aerospace, and smart home systems—yielding innovations such as mind-controlled neuroprosthetics for stroke rehabilitation, space-based BCI platforms, and thought-to-text systems.

Looking ahead, researchers aim to develop bidirectional brain-computer systems capable of both reading and writing neural information. Such systems would allow for the decoding of more complex mental states and enable deeper, more integrated interaction between humans and machines. Yet it is important to recognize that China’s BCI industry still faces structural challenges. Many enterprises lack a complete technological chain and a robust talent pipeline, limiting their capacity for large-scale commercialization. Bridging the gap between lab-based experimentation and real-world application remains a long-term task.

Invasive technologies present unresolved ethical and safety concerns. In contrast, non-invasive BCIs offer higher safety, broader accessibility, and stronger prospects for industrial-scale adoption. China’s strong technological foundation places it at a key juncture for advancing next-generation BCI research and accelerating the path to industrialization. At this stage, efforts should be made to encourage core technology breakthroughs and research on common key issues, and carry out original and disruptive frontier exploration of the “uncharted territory.” In shaping research priorities, market orientation should drive the translation of scientific breakthroughs into practical applications, helping to generate new quality productive forces and creating “truly useful and highly valuable” BCIs. Focusing on the demand for the application and transformation of major engineering projects, a systematic planning and design approach should be adopted, in alignment with the two technical paths of non-invasive and invasive interfaces. Parallel research along both technical paths will help accelerate the industrialization and systematic development of China’s BCI sector.

As a nascent high-tech field, the domestic BCI industry faces a significant shortage of skilled professionals. For small and medium-sized enterprises, this talent gap makes it difficult to build complete R&D teams or sustain innovation pipelines. Addressing this requires action on several fronts. Top-tier universities should be encouraged to establish interdisciplinary training programs that cultivate high-quality, well-rounded talent. At the same time, universities and enterprises should collaborate in building advanced research and innovation platforms. Jointly tackling key research problems will help resolve commercialization barriers and lay the groundwork for a robust industrial chain.

Tianjin University has taken the lead by launching China’s first academic program specifically on BCIs. With its inaugural cohort now enrolled, the program is expected to catalyze stronger linkages across the BCI talent and technology chains—laying a more solid foundation for high-quality industrial development. BCIs have the potential to not only revolutionize healthcare and improve human well-being, but also to reshape social structures, economic models, and other aspects of life. As the technology continues to evolve, its application may completely change our interaction with the external world and further blur the boundaries between humans and machines. However, such transformative potential also raises pressing ethical, privacy, and societal challenges. Ensuring that BCIs remain fair, safe, and broadly accessible—and that innovation is balanced with risk management—will be a shared challenge for the global community.

Ming Dong is a vice president of Tianjin University.