Researchers develop brain-on-a-chip system, advancing brain-computer interfaces

TIANJIN -- Chinese researchers have recently developed a brain-on-a-chip intelligent interaction system, shedding new light on brain-computer interface research.

The system, MetaBOC, enables a brain organoid to autonomously control robots for tasks such as obstacle avoidance, tracking and grasping, completing inspired work of various brain-like computing.

The brain-on-a-chip consists of two components: the electrode chip and the in vitro-cultured brain tissue. This brain organoid is created through stem cell culture technology and possesses some of the intelligent functions of a biological brain.

By equipping it with an electrode chip, scientists can control it to send signals to the outside, thereby achieving specific functions.

Unlike traditional technologies that primarily use the human brain or other biological brains as experimental subjects, the brain-on-a-chip has emerged as an important new branch in the field of brain-computer interfaces, said Ming Dong, vice president of Tianjin University.

Ming noted that the research is expected to have a revolutionary impact on developing cutting-edge scientific fields such as hybrid intelligence and brain-like computing.

The study, jointly conducted by researchers from Tianjin University and the Southern University of Science and Technology, was published in the international journal Brain.