- A new “brain-robot” interface has been unveiled in China
- It uses non-invasive EEG technology
- System will provide much-needed real-world AI training data
We’re seeing brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) continue to become more advanced and practical, and Chinese company BrainCo has announced another first: a BCI that allows robots to be controlled by thought.
As the South China Morning Post reports, BrainCo says the system works through EEG (electroencephalogram) headsets worn by human operators, which translate neural activity into instructions for the robots to follow.
Like other similar “mind reading” devices, it is based on large amounts of training data that associates specific neural activity with specific commands as imagined in the brain. The AI algorithms then take care of finding the right action for the right thought.
It’s called Brain-Controlled Robot AI Platform and was unveiled at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai, the largest and most important AI technology event on China’s calendar.
Think about it actually
BrainCo says that in addition to being used to control robots, the system can also serve as an interface to connect to robotic arms and other devices. A robotic arm could, for example, be tasked with picking up a cup by thought alone.
As the brain-controlled robotic AI platform becomes more widely used, it will also collect data, data that can then be applied to further refine the underlying algorithms. High-quality training data is currently one of the biggest bottlenecks in the industry.
“The embodied AI industry has made remarkable progress in what robots can do on their own,” said Nyx He, partner and senior vice president at BrainCo. “We believe the next decisive frontier is how robots understand the humans they work with.”
As AI models become more intelligent and sophisticated, this will power the “physical AI” of robotics, giving these machines greater flexibility, more dexterity and, as we have seen here, thought-controlled inputs.
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