The Chinese in competition with Elon Musk

Chinese government has established a state-funded lab in Tianjin, called the Sixth Haihe Laboratory, to focus on brain-machine interfaces, similar to Elon Musk's Neuralink. The lab has more than 60 scientists working towards converting their research into practical applications. The South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported last week that the government hopes this new initiative will "drive innovation and create new areas for economic growth".

Brain-machine interface (BMI) technology enables the connection of the human brain to devices like computers, which can then be used to carry out tasks. One of the most prominent examples of this technology is Neuralink's monkey, which can play pong without the use of a controller. However, despite some initial successes, Elon Musk's company has faced several failures in this field. As a result, the Chinese government is now investing in similar technology to be developed independently.

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In addition to Neuralink, research institutes in the United States, including the University of California, Berkeley, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, have been at the forefront of developing BMI technology for many years.

China aims to challenge U.S. dominance in brain-machine interface technology, much like it has done in other areas, such as hypersonic missiles, by establishing a strong research foundation for developing intellectual capabilities. The Sixth Haihe Laboratory in Tianjin has brought together over 60 scientists, many of whom have worked overseas in related fields of research.

Some of the researchers at the lab are focused on developing bionic tissues for the human body, while others are working on improving communication between humans and machines. Their research involves detecting and measuring signals in the brain, with the ultimate goal of facilitating collaboration between humans and machines.

According to a state media newspaper on Science and Technology, Ding Ruiqing, the lead researcher at the Sixth Haihe Laboratory, stated that the lab has the world's most extensive patent pool for brain-machine interactions. He also mentioned that the lab's research leads the world in three areas: the accuracy of electroencephalography (EEG) measurements, the quality of control instructions that can be reliably detected, and information transmission rate, as reported by the SCMP.

EEG measuring accuracy is critical in real-time monitoring of brain-computer interfaces, as it measures the brain's electrical activity using electrodes placed on the scalp.

The researchers at the lab are aiming to overcome the bottleneck problem areas to advance this technology and plan to convert their research findings into practical applications. While these applications might take a few years to develop, this move will undoubtedly increase competition for Neuralink, which is already struggling to compete with its U.S.-based peers, as reported by Interesting Engineering last month.