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BrainCo demos mind-controlled robot platform at WAIC
BrainCo showed a brain-to-robot system at WAIC that turns EEG signals into robot commands in under 200 milliseconds.
Image: TNW
A lightweight EEG headset that lets someone control a robot arm with thought alone was one of BrainCo’s headline demos at the World AI Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai, according to the South China Morning Post. In the demonstration, the wearer thought about picking up objects, and the robot arm responded without buttons, voice commands, or physical movement.
BrainCo says its Brain-Controlled Robot AI Platform is the world’s first integrated brain-to-robot system — a claim attributed to the company. In a statement, BrainCo said the platform works in three steps:
- an EEG headset reads brain signals
- AI decodes those signals into a control intent, such as “grab that”
- the system converts that intent into robot commands
According to BrainCo, the full loop takes under 200 milliseconds. In the WAIC demo, a mind-controlled arm grasped a cup and picked up an apple. The company said the platform can work with off-the-shelf robots, including humanoids, robotic arms, and four-legged “dogs,” which could make it easier to use in existing robotics labs.
BrainCo also unveiled an Embodied AI Data Collection Solution aimed at a persistent robotics problem: not enough high-quality training data. The system uses a wheeled, dual-arm rig and a precision glove to record human demonstrations, while also capturing the operator’s EEG. That means it logs not only hand movements, but also the brain signals behind them.
Founded in 2015, BrainCo previously focused on BCI for medical rehabilitation, including prosthetic hands and legs that read nerve and muscle signals. This new platform marks its move deeper into robotics.
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“A decade of BCI research has given us the ability to decode what a person intends to do and translate that into machine action.”
The launch comes as companies race to build brain-computer interfaces and embodied AI, with China pushing aggressively in both areas.
Frontier Editor
Dan is our resident futurist, covering electric mobility, space exploration, and the smart home. He's interested in atoms just as much as bits. Whether it's a new battery chemistry, a reusable rocket, or a protocol that finally makes IoT devices talk to each other, Dan breaks down the engineering that pushes humanity forward.
via TNW
