Brain-computer interface shines into reality! The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology will focus on cultivating it in the future. How far is the road to industrialization?

Brain-computer interface shines into reality! The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology will focus on cultivating it in the future. How far is the road to industrialization?

China Times (www.chinatimes.net.cn) reporter Qi Meng Zhang Zhi reporting from Shenzhen

14 years ago, the movie "Avatar" came out. The fantasy and even magical brain-computer interface ran through the entire plot, and then the brain-computer interface became an essential element in many science fiction films.

Now, brain-computer interface has become a reality. On May 29, at the "Brain-Computer Interface Innovation and Development Forum", Zhao Zhiguo, chief engineer of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, introduced that with the joint efforts of the industry, my country has formed a full industry chain of brain-computer interface covering the basic layer, technical layer and application layer, and It has been applied in medical, education, industry, entertainment and other fields.

He said that the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology will regard brain-computer interface as an important direction for cultivating future industrial development, strengthen the exploration of brain-computer interface application scenarios, and accelerate the vigorous development of the brain-computer interface industry.

In this regard, Wu Gaobin, vice president of the Yuanxi Working Committee and founding secretary-general of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, and vice president of the Integration Committee of Informatization and Informatization of the China Communications Industry Association, pointed out in an interview with a reporter from the China Times that the brain-computer interface is a This new type of human-computer interaction can combine human thinking with computer technology to achieve seamless dialogue between humans and machines. This invention will completely change the way people live and work, and greatly improve human convenience and efficiency.

So what are the key issues for the industrialization of brain-computer interface technology? The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology regards brain-computer interface as an important direction to cultivate future industrial development. Which industries or companies in the industry chain will benefit?

Key issues in realizing industrialization

It is reported that brain-computer interface can realize direct interconnection between the human brain and computers and machines, so that some functions that humans lack or are insufficient can be compensated and improved while being controlled by the brain.

In terms of technology, at present, our country has already accumulated certain technology in this field. The University of Electronic Science and Technology of China has taken the lead in conducting research on EEG theory and neuroimaging mechanisms of non-invasive brain interfaces, launching brainwave music systems that regulate brain states, cerebral palsy rehabilitation systems, and attention function regulation systems, etc., opening up many unique new directions; In terms of invasive brain-computer interfaces, the Brain-Computer Interface Team of Zhejiang University worked together with the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University to complete the first invasive interface surgery in China in early 2020, opening up the domestic invasive interface market.

From the perspective of patents, the number of domestic brain-computer interface-related patents has continued to grow since 2013, and the growth rate of applications has accelerated significantly; in 2021, the number of patent applications in my country's brain-computer interface industry reached 1,896, the peak in recent years .

Currently, based on brain-computer interface technology, it has become a reality for paraplegic patients to stand and walk, for people to write through their thoughts, and for monkeys to play games through brain waves.

However, Zhao Jizong, academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and executive member of the World Federation of Neurosurgery, also said at the forum that the current research on brain-computer interfaces in various countries is still case-by-case, and existing industrialized equipment is still a certain distance away from real technical applications. Current technical limitations mean that brain-computer interfaces are mainly used in clinical trials, and large-scale promotion in the clinical field of medicine has not yet been achieved.

According to the research report of Qianzhan Research Institute, my country’s brain-computer interface industry is still in its primary development stage, and most companies are small in scale. According to the registered capital of the enterprise, it can be roughly divided into three competitive echelons. Among them, only Brainco has a registered capital of more than 100 million yuan. Six companies have registered capital of more than 10 million, including Huanan Brain Control, Niantong Intelligence, Brainco Technology, and Shuli Innovation. The remaining companies have registered capitals of more than 10 million yuan. All are below 10 million yuan.

Currently, Qiannao Technology, Naolu Technology, Rouling Technology, etc. have launched a series of consumer-grade brain-computer interface products, with applications covering children's education, entertainment, medical care, health and other fields.

However, in terms of application, current brain-computer interface products are still some way away from mass production. Now the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has regarded brain-computer interface as an important direction to cultivate future industrial development. So, what are the key issues to industrialize brain-computer interfaces? How to speed up the industrialization process of domestic brain-computer interface?

Zhao Zhiguo proposed three support measures at the forum, one of which is to strengthen the innovation capabilities of the brain-computer interface industry. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology encourages and supports brain-computer interfaces, carries out extensive domestic and international cooperation in the field of industry, academia, and research, strengthens the research and development capabilities of cutting-edge technologies such as basic theories of brain-computer interfaces, signal acquisition, and advanced algorithms, and accelerates the research of key core technologies and important application products. , to improve the capabilities of basic industries such as brain-computer interface related chips and key components.

The second is to improve the industrial ecology of brain-computer interface. Guided by the demand for products and scientific research equipment in education, medical and other fields, guide universities, scientific research institutes, technology enterprises and application units to form an innovation consortium of industrial groups, create a virtuous cycle of technology research and development, experimental verification, and industrial promotion, and strengthen data and sample sharing to further explore the energy storage potential of brain-computer interface technology and improve the level of integrated applications in medical, health, consumption, electricity, education, people's livelihood and other fields.

The third is to consolidate the industrial foundation of brain-computer interface. Enterprises, institutions and scientific research institutions should be encouraged to accelerate the deployment of patent and standard systems for cutting-edge brain-computer interface technologies. Determine reasonable boundaries for scientific research and application to ensure the safe application of relevant technologies.

In Wu Gaobin’s view, the industrialization of brain-computer interface technology is inseparable from the following key issues: the maturity of the technology, the expansion of application scenarios, and the improvement of the industrial ecology. Among them, the maturity of technology is the key to realizing the industrialization of brain-computer interface. Brain-computer interface technology is in its infancy and needs to address a number of technical challenges, including accuracy, stability, security and other issues. Strengthening technology research and development and improving technology maturity are necessary conditions for realizing the industrialization of brain-computer interface technology.

He said that the expansion of application scenarios is also the key to realizing the industrialization of brain-computer interface. Currently, brain-computer interface technology has been applied in medical, education, entertainment and other fields, but the application scenarios are still relatively limited. To realize brain-computer interface, The industrialization of technology requires strengthening the exploration and expansion of application scenarios to meet the needs of different fields; at the same time, the industrialization of brain-computer interface technology requires the establishment of a complete industrial ecosystem, including technology research and development, product manufacturing, marketing and other links, to achieve The industrialization of brain-computer interface technology requires strengthening the construction of industrial ecology and establishing a complete industrial chain.

At the same time, Wang Peng, a researcher at the Beijing Academy of Social Sciences and director of the Digital Economy Research Institute of Nanchang University of Technology, told a reporter from the China Times: "At the technical level, it is necessary to ensure the safety of the experimental subjects as well as the effect. This reflects the cost of commercialization. If the cost is extremely high and it can only be used in a small area, the commercialization prospects may not be optimistic, and legal, regulatory and social ethical issues are also issues that need to be faced in its industrialization.”

He said that for the development of domestic brain-computer interface industrialization, firstly, the government and scientific research institutions must do some technical research and development, but more companies must also be mobilized to participate and play the role of the main force of corporate innovation; secondly, On the other hand, we still need to standardize development, take precautions before they occur, and provide relevant risk reminders and early warnings in advance.

However, many interviewed experts also said that the current brain-computer interface technology is still in the early research and exploration stage and is still far from industrialization.

Zhang Xiaorong, director of the Deepin Technology Research Institute, told a reporter from China Times: “The research on this technology is still in the laboratory stage. There are two major concerns in moving from laboratory scientific research to clinical application and public service. One is technical safety challenges. , For example, using this technology will cause physical damage, and data exchange will violate privacy; second, there are social and ethical challenges, such as interpreting brain intentions through brain signals. How to protect human mental independence and behavioral autonomy in the face of many social and technological challenges? Problem, brain-computer interface still has a long way to go, and it is not advisable to rush into industrial development.”

At the same time, angel investor and senior artificial intelligence expert Guo Tao told a reporter from the China Times that brain-computer interfaces currently have problems such as low maturity of key core technologies, an industrial chain ecology that has not yet been formed, and outstanding safety and ethical challenges.

"In the future, it is necessary to improve the laws, regulations and industry standard system, continue to increase policy support, stimulate the vitality of private investment, guide enterprises to work together to promote core and key technology research, and promote the rapid development and mature implementation of brain-computer interface technology." he said.

Broad prospects

It is understood that in order to promote the advancement of brain-computer interface technology and realize the industrialization of brain-computer interface, the state has proposed to strengthen basic research on brain science and other basic research and promote the popularization of brain science. On the other hand, it encourages brain-computer interface companies to speed up their product development. Applications in typical fields such as medical care, rehabilitation, virtual reality, and education.

"Brain Science" is listed as a national key frontier science and technology project and has been included in the "14th Five-Year Plan" and the 2035 long-term goals. The "14th Five-Year Plan for the Development of the Medical Equipment Industry" clearly proposes to accelerate the research and development of new nursing and rehabilitation equipment based on robots, intelligent vision and voice interaction, brain-computer interface, human-computer interaction and intelligent control technology.

In October 2022, Shanghai issued the "Shanghai Action Plan to Create a Future Industrial Innovation Highland, Develop and Strengthen Future Industrial Clusters", which clearly stated that it would "accelerate non-invasive brain-computer interface technology, brain-computer fusion technology, brain-like chip technology, brain Breakthroughs in areas such as computational neural models. Promote the development and innovation of brain-like chips, brain-like micro-nano optoelectronic devices, brain-like computers, neural interfaces and intelligent prostheses. In the field of medical rehabilitation, study brain-computer interface technology in limb movement disorders. Applications in chronic disorders of consciousness, mental illness, etc.”

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In Wang Peng’s view, if brain-computer interfaces can be applied on a large scale in the future, on the one hand, it can improve the quality of human life, especially for people with disabilities or functional impairments; on the other hand, from the perspective of industry development, it can It makes the level of digital intelligence higher, the accuracy of intelligent control more precise, and the convenience more convenient.

At the same time, the development of brain-computer interface will also drive the symbiotic and integrated development of its industrial chain. It is reported that the upstream of the brain-computer interface industry includes chip and EEG acquisition equipment manufacturers, operating system and software manufacturers, data analysts, etc., the midstream is the provider of brain-computer interface products, and the downstream includes medical and health, education and training, game entertainment, smart home, Military and national defense and other application fields.

In Wu Gaobin’s view, “First of all, the development of brain-computer interface technology will drive the development of the computer hardware and software industry, bringing new market demands and business opportunities. The application of brain-computer interface will promote the development of related industries. It is widely used in many fields such as medical, education, entertainment and so on.”

Regarding computer-related fields, Guo Tao said: “With the continuous introduction of favorable policies for the industry, and the increasing maturity and commercial application of related technologies, AI chips, EEG acquisition equipment, brain-computer signal software, and brain-computer signal software will be promoted. Machine interface equipment and other industries are developing rapidly and are expected to form a trillion-level market size.”

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