A recent clinical trial conducted by a team from the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) has let a patient with tetraplegia pilot a smart wheelchair and command a robotic dog using only neural signals. This milestone, achieved this year, moves brain-computer interfaces from two-dimensional screens into three-dimensional, real-world interactions.
After suffering a spinal-cord injury in 2022, the patient was implanted with a high-throughput wireless invasive system developed by CAS's Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology in June 2025. Within weeks of training, he could reliably control a computer cursor and a tablet, laying the groundwork for more ambitious tests.
Researchers then pushed the system into neighborhood settings. By decoding neural activity with two complementary strategies, they boosted command accuracy by over 15 percent and reduced end-to-end latencyâfrom neural pickup to device actionâto under 100 milliseconds. This latency is below the body's natural reaction time, giving the patient control that feels fluid and instinctive.
The trial demonstrated autonomous mobility and object retrieval: the patient navigated a smart wheelchair through real streets and directed a robotic dog to fetch a food delivery. These scenes illustrate a broader shift in the Chinese mainland's research, from restoring basic digital interaction to expanding paralyzed patients' reach in daily life.
For global tech enthusiasts and rehabilitation professionals, this breakthrough highlights how data-driven strategies and real-world testing can accelerate BCI adoption, potentially transforming personalized care and human-machine interaction worldwide.
Reference(s):
China makes progress in clinical trial of brain-computer interface
cgtn.com
