The demonstration, captured on video in March by Beijing Radio and Television Station, was part of a clinical trial involving five patients implanted with a coin-sized chip called Beinao-1, a wireless so-called brain computer interface (BCI) – a technology led by scientists in the US, but in which experts say China is quickly catching up.
Luo Minmin, director of the Chinese Institute for Brain Research (CIBR) and the chief scientist behind the trial, said there was a “very strong” need for BCI technology, saying they had been “overwhelmed” by requests from potential patients.