Chinese startup neuroxess has achieved two significant breakthroughs in interface technology, benefiting patients with brain damage. The first breakthrough involves decoding thoughts in real-time, while the second allows for the remote control of a robotic hand using only the power of thoughts.
In an experiment conducted in August 2024 at Huashan Hospital, a 21-year-old patient with epilepsy and brain damage in the motor zone received an implant of a flexible BCI device with 256 channels of high throughput. This interface enabled the recording and analysis of high-frequency brain signals ranging from 70-150 Hz, providing data on movements and sensory activity.
Following training with a neural network model, the patient successfully decoded speech from brain signals with a delay of under 60 milliseconds. Within 48 hours, she began playing table tennis and computer games, and within two weeks, she could navigate smartphone applications like WeChat and Taobao.
The interface also allowed the patient to control smart home systems and a wheelchair, vastly improving her daily life. A noteworthy achievement was the successful decoding of speech from brain signals, a challenging task given the tonal and logographic nature of the Chinese language.
Neuroxess achieved a 71% accuracy rate in decoding speech, based on 142 common Chinese syllables, with a delay of less than 100 milliseconds – a record for China. Through demonstrations, the patient was able to control a robotic hand to perform gestures and phrases such as “C, for example, C New Year, 2025!”, as well as interact with a digital avatar communicating with an AI model.
Neuroxess founder Tao Hu highlighted that the company’s method minimizes the risk of brain tissue damage by operating on the surface of the brain. Looking ahead, the startup aims to utilize this technology to assist individuals with speech and movement impairments, including ALS patients, those with paralysis, and stroke survivors.