Brain implant trial in China shows promise for paralyzed patients
Chinese researchers have reported a clinical trial in which an invasive brain-computer interface enabled a paralyzed patient to control a smart wheelchair and a robotic dog using neural signals, marking progress toward practical daily use, a Qazinform News Agency correspondent reports.
A research team from the Chinese Academy of Sciences said the trial demonstrated stable, real-world control of external devices by a patient with tetraplegia following a spinal cord injury sustained in 2022.
According to the team, the patient received the implanted system in June 2025. After several weeks of training, he was able to reliably operate a computer cursor and tablet, and later navigate a smart wheelchair in his neighborhood and command a robotic dog to retrieve items.
The system was developed by the CAS-affiliated Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology. Researchers said the wireless invasive interface captures neural signals at high throughput and translates them into device commands.
To improve performance, the team combined two decoding approaches to extract usable commands from noisy brain activity, increasing overall control accuracy by more than 15%. They also reduced end-to-end latency to under 100 milliseconds-below typical human reaction time-which researchers said helped make control feel smoother.
Brain-computer interfaces aim to establish a direct communication pathway between the brain and external devices. While laboratory demonstrations such as robotic arm control and text input have been shown elsewhere, researchers say a key hurdle remains ensuring reliability for everyday use. The latest trial suggests a shift toward applications that extend mobility and interaction beyond screen-based tasks.
Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported on new research by scientists at Washington State University exploring methods to block herpes viruses from entering human cells by targeting a vulnerable site in a viral protein.
