The brain-computer chip ushers in its first year of commercialization.
With the development of technology, brain-computer interface (BCI) technology is gradually moving from science fiction to reality and becoming the focus of global attention. As a cutting-edge technology that directly connects the brain with external devices, BCI enables human-machine interaction to break free from the constraints of traditional muscle or language instructions and can be achieved only through the neural signals emitted by the brain.
And the core component of this technology - the brain-computer chip - is playing a crucial role and continuously bringing positive effects.
01 What is a brain-computer interface?
The working principle of BCI is based on the electrical signals generated by the activities of brain neurons. When the brain is engaged in activities such as thinking, perceiving, and moving, neurons transmit information through electrical signals. The BCI system captures these weak electrical signals through specific sensors (neural electrodes), and then converts them into instructions that the computer can understand through a series of complex processing and algorithm analysis, thus realizing the control of external devices. For example, paralyzed patients can use BCI to control a robotic arm with their brains to complete daily actions; game players can control game characters with their thoughts to obtain a more immersive experience.
Currently, BCI technology is usually divided into three major types: non-invasive (outside the brain), invasive and semi-invasive according to the degree of "invasiveness". Non-invasive BCI is the most common type. It collects brain signals by wearing an electroencephalogram (EEG) cap on the scalp surface. This method is simple to operate and non-invasive, but its drawbacks are also obvious. Since the signals need to pass through multiple layers of tissues such as the scalp and skull, the signals are severely attenuated, the resolution is low, and the clarity of the obtained EEG signals is limited, making it difficult to achieve high-precision control. Invasive BCI involves inserting microfilament electrodes directly into the brain tissue through a craniotomy, so it can obtain signals from the activities of single neurons at close range, with extremely high resolution and accuracy. However, this method requires extremely high surgical skills, has the risk of surgical infection, and the electrodes, as foreign objects implanted in the brain, can easily trigger the body's immune response, leading to problems such as signal attenuation. Semi-invasive BCI is between the two. It implants the electrodes inside the skull but does not penetrate deep into the brain tissue, taking into account both signal quality and safety to a certain extent.
Different types of BCI have their own advantages and disadvantages in practical applications. In the field of medical rehabilitation, non-invasive BCI can be used to assist paralyzed patients in rehabilitation training to help them recover some motor functions; invasive and semi-invasive BCI are expected to provide more precise treatment plans for serious neurological diseases such as epilepsy and Parkinson's disease, and relieve symptoms through neural regulation. In the entertainment and gaming industry, BCI technology is expected to bring an unprecedented immersive experience to players and make game interaction more natural and smooth. In the aspect of smart home control, users can easily control various electrical appliances in their homes by issuing instructions with their brains, realizing a more convenient lifestyle.
02 The brain-computer chip is the key technology of BCI
The brain-computer chip occupies a core position in the BCI system and can be regarded as the "brain" of the entire system. Its main function is to read the brain's neural signals and convert these bioelectrical signals into electronic instructions, providing key support for realizing human-machine interaction. Specifically, the brain-computer chip plays an irreplaceable role in the links of signal acquisition, processing and transmission.
In terms of signal acquisition, the brain-computer chip needs to have the characteristics of high sensitivity and high precision, and be able to capture extremely weak brain neural signals. Since the brain's neural signals are very weak, usually in the microvolt level and are easily interfered by external noise, the acquisition chip needs to have excellent noise suppression ability and a high common-mode rejection ratio to ensure that the acquired signals are real and reliable.
Signal processing is another important function of the brain-computer chip. The acquired brain neural signals are complex analog signals, which need to go through a series of processing inside the chip, such as amplification, filtering, analog-to-digital conversion, etc., to convert them into digital signals for the computer to analyze and process. A high-performance brain-computer chip needs to have strong parallel processing capabilities and be able to quickly and accurately process and analyze a large number of neural signals. For example, developing a high-performance, ultra-low-power brain signal processing chip, strengthening parallel processing capabilities, and promoting the integrated integration of functions such as perception, computing and regulation can greatly improve the response speed and accuracy of the BCI system. In this process, the algorithm optimization of the chip is also crucial. Through advanced algorithms, the effective information in the brain signals can be better extracted, and the accuracy of signal decoding can be improved.
The signal transmission link also relies on the support of the brain-computer chip. The processed brain signals need to be transmitted to external devices for further analysis and control, which requires the brain-computer chip to have efficient and stable communication capabilities. Developing an ultra-low-power, high-speed, and highly reliable communication chip can improve the brain signal transmission and anti-interference capabilities and ensure the integrity and accuracy of the signals during transmission.
03 Global competition in brain-computer chips
On the international stage, the field of BCI chips is highly competitive. Many countries and research teams are actively exploring and have achieved a series of remarkable results.
The United States started early in this field and has always been in the leading position. Neuralink, a company founded by Elon Musk, is one of the outstanding ones. It is committed to developing invasive BCI technology. In 2024, Neuralink completed its first human trial. The subject was able to control a computer mouse through a brain implant, which caused a global sensation.
Another US company, Synchron, has also made important progress in the field of BCI. In December 2022, Synchron announced a $75 million financing round, including funds from investment companies of Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft, and Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon. In May 2025, it was reported that Apple was collaborating with the startup Synchron to develop a new type of BCI to help disabled people use its devices.
In addition, a new BCI system developed by the University of California, Davis Medical Center successfully converted the EEG signals of a patient with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) into speech with an accuracy rate of 97%, reaching a relatively high level in speech decoding.
In other countries, the UK, Germany, Japan and others are also increasing their R & D investment in BCI chip technology. The UK's research team has achieved certain results in the algorithm optimization of non-invasive BCI chips and can more accurately extract effective information from the weak signals collected on the scalp surface. Germany focuses on developing highly stable semi-invasive BCI chips to improve the compatibility between the chips and brain tissue and reduce the risk of immune response after long-term implantation. Japan has unique advantages in the miniaturization and low-power design of chips and is committed to developing smaller and more energy-efficient BCI chips to meet the needs of applications such as wearable devices.
04 Policies support the development of brain-computer chips
As a cutting-edge field of the new generation of human-machine interaction and human-machine hybrid intelligence, BCI technology has great development potential and application prospects and has received high attention from governments around the world. The Chinese government has also actively introduced relevant policies to vigorously promote the innovative development of the BCI industry and provide strong policy support for the R & D and application of brain-computer chips.
Recently, multiple departments including the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Education, the National Health Commission, the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council, the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the National Medical Products Administration jointly issued the "Implementation Opinions on Promoting the Innovative Development of the Brain-Computer Interface Industry". The "Opinions" clearly propose to break through key brain-computer chips. Develop high-channel, high-speed brain signal acquisition chips, strengthen analog-to-digital conversion, channel management and noise suppression, and enhance the brain signal acquisition and amplification capabilities. Research and develop high-performance, ultra-low-power brain signal processing chips, strengthen parallel processing capabilities, and promote the integrated integration of functions such as perception, computing and regulation. Research and develop ultra-low-power, high-speed, and highly reliable communication chips to improve brain signal transmission and anti-interference capabilities.
In fact, since the beginning of this year, local governments have introduced a series of specific support policies.
Beijing issued the "Action Plan for Accelerating the Innovative Development of Brain-Computer Interface in Beijing (2025 - 2030)", aiming to achieve large-scale commercial use of BCI innovative products in fields such as medical care, health care, industry and education by 2030; Shanghai issued the "Action Plan for Cultivating the Future Industry of Brain-Computer Interface in Shanghai (2025 - 2030)", aiming to fully realize the clinical application of BCI products before 2030; Guangdong Province proposed to accelerate the technological breakthroughs and industrialization of brain science, BCI, organoids and other technologies; Sichuan issued the "Action Plan for the Breakthrough of the Brain-Computer Interface and Human-Machine Interaction Industry in Sichuan (2025 - 2030)", aiming to achieve large-scale production and application of products by 2030 and carry out 3,000 invasive BCI surgeries per year.
The strong support of policies has injected powerful impetus into the development of brain-computer chips. On the one hand, policies have guided a large amount of funds into the R & D field of BCI chips, providing sufficient R & D funds for scientific research institutions and enterprises and facilitating the conduct of frontier technology research and key technology breakthroughs. On the other hand, the introduction of policies has attracted more talents to engage in the R & D work of BCI chips, promoting the exchange and cooperation of interdisciplinary talents. The R & D of BCI chips involves multiple disciplines such as neuroscience, electronic engineering and computer science and requires a large number of talents with interdisciplinary knowledge and skills. The incentive effect of policies has brought together more outstanding talents in this field, providing intellectual support for the innovative development of brain-computer chips.
05 Domestic BCI chips achieve new breakthroughs
Although China started relatively late in semi-invasive and invasive BCI technology, in recent years, with the unremitting efforts and innovative spirit of scientific research personnel, remarkable development results have been achieved. Multiple BCI technology teams have successfully achieved new breakthroughs, especially in the field of domestic BCI chips, showing strong strength and potential.
In April this year, Hainan University officially released the independently developed core technology and a series of products of the implantable BCI, which attracted wide attention globally. This series of products includes three core chips: the SX-R128S4 high-throughput neural signal acquisition chip, the SX-S32 high-degree-of-freedom neural regulation chip and the SX-WD60 low-power wireless transmission chip.
Among them, the SX-R128S4 high-throughput neural signal acquisition and stimulation chip has high-throughput acquisition and stimulation functions. Its 128-channel design makes it reach the international leading level in terms of the number of channels, which is more than twice that of the current commercial neural signal acquisition chips, and it can more comprehensively and accurately acquire neural signals. At the same time, while improving performance, the power consumption of this chip is reduced by more than 80% and the volume is reduced by 50%, greatly improving the energy efficiency ratio and portability of the chip. The SX-S32 high-degree-of-freedom neural regulation chip supports the independent setting of stimulation parameters for 32 channels. Through the bionic pulse waveform design, it can achieve precise regulation of specific neural pathways and provide new solutions for the treatment of neurological diseases such as Parkinson's disease and epilepsy. The SX-WD60 low-power wireless transmission chip, combined with the neuron positioning system, can locate neural targets with micron-level accuracy, realize real-time data transmission and remote power supply for the device, and the overall power consumption is 40% lower than that of similar international products, significantly extending the service life of the implantable device.
In addition, the "Beinao No. 1", an intelligent BCI system independently developed by Beijing scientific research workers, has also made important progress. Recently, the "Beinao No. 1" completed the first batch of human implantations of the flexible high-throughput semi-invasive wireless fully implantable BCI system in the First Hospital of Peking University, Xuanwu Hospital of Capital Medical University and Beijing Tiantan Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University. The patients recovered well after the operation, and the effective channel number of the device reached more than 98%. By using the "Beinao No. 1" intelligent BCI system, paralyzed patients can remotely control computers and robotic arms and even drive muscle stimulation devices to gradually promote the recovery of their own limb motor functions. This result demonstrates China's leading level in semi-invasive BCI technology and chip application and brings new hope to special groups such as paralyzed patients.
06 The industrialization of brain-computer chips begins
In June 2025, the global BCI industry reached a historic turning point - the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) fully approved Neuralink's implantable device to enter the commercial market. After the news was announced, the average daily increase of relevant concept stocks exceeded 15%, and the quarterly financing amount in the BCI field increased by 200% compared with the previous quarter.
In addition, in March 2025, BCI technology was first established as an independent charging item by the National Healthcare Security Administration of China, and then the Hubei Provincial Healthcare Security Administration issued the first BCI medical service price in the country. This also means that the industrialization process of brain-computer chips has officially started.
From the perspective of the semiconductor industry demand, the development of BCI chips brings new opportunities and challenges to the semiconductor industry. In terms of chip design, it is necessary to develop customized chips specifically for BCI applications, integrating multiple functions such as signal acquisition, processing and transmission to achieve a high degree of system integration. This requires semiconductor design companies to have an in-depth understanding of the technical requirements and application scenarios of BCI and invest more R & D resources in innovative design. In terms of manufacturing processes, in order to meet the requirements of BCI chips for high sensitivity, low power consumption and miniaturization, advanced semiconductor manufacturing processes such as more advanced lithography technology and three-dimensional integration technology need to be adopted to improve the performance and integration of the chips, reduce the size and power consumption of the chips. At the same time, packaging technology is also crucial. It is necessary to develop packaging materials and technologies that can adapt to the in-vivo environment and have good biocompatibility to protect the chips from the complex in-vivo environment and ensure the long-term stability and reliability of the chips.
In addition, the large-scale application of BCI chips also requires the semiconductor industry to establish a complete industrial chain supporting system. From chip design, manufacturing, packaging and testing to terminal applications, all links need to cooperate closely to form an efficient industrial ecosystem. This will promote the in-depth integration of the semiconductor industry with multiple fields such as neuroscience, medical devices and artificial intelligence, drive interdisciplinary technological innovation and open up new market space and development directions for the semiconductor industry.
This article is from the WeChat public account "Semiconductor Industry Insights" (ID: ICViews), author: Pengcheng, published by 36Kr with authorization.