Heavy! Musk's brain-computer interface company has been approved by the FDA and is about to conduct human trials [with forecast of the future of brain-computer interface]

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which initially rejected Musk’s brain-computer interface company Neuralink’s application for human brain-computer interface trials, finally gave the company the green light.

Neuralink, Musk’s brain-computer interface company, recently received FDA approval for its first human trial. Neuralink's move to legally implant its devices into human brains would be an important step toward the field of brain-computer interfaces. Officials said in a tweet that recruitment information for the clinical trial will be announced soon.

Musk said that Neuralink is designing a device that converts brain signals into actions, and will first focus on two applications: restoring human vision, and helping people who cannot move muscles control devices such as smartphones, and even restore spinal cord integrity. Impaired body functions.

The company first announced in 2019 that it was testing its device on monkeys. The following year, they demonstrated a pig implanted with their device and made some design changes to the device. In 2021, Neuralink caused a huge stir when it released a video showing a monkey implanted with its device playing video games telepathically.

Beginning in 2015, a large number of start-ups began to appear in the brain-computer interface industry. These companies have developed a series of consumer-grade brain-computer interface products, and the industrialization of brain-computer interface technology research and development results has begun to accelerate.

my country's brain-computer interface industry started late, with a gap of 5-10 years compared with foreign countries. At present, the world's major scientific and technological powers are accelerating the establishment of technical barriers in the field of brain-computer interface and restricting the export of technology. In 2018, the U.S. Department of Commerce issued the Export Control Reform Act to restrict the export of 14 technologies, including brain-computer interface technology. my country's brain-computer interface industry is accelerating its pace of catching up, thanks to the efforts of major scientific research institutions and related enterprises. From the perspective of patents, the number of domestic brain-computer interface-related patents has continued to grow since 2013, and the growth rate of applications has accelerated significantly; in 2021, the number of patent applications in my country's brain-computer interface industry reached 1,896, which is the peak in recent years.

According to estimates from the China Electronics Technology Standardization Institute, the current market size of the global brain-computer interface industry has exceeded 1.5 billion US dollars, while the market size of the domestic brain-computer interface industry is only about 1 billion yuan, accounting for less than 10% of the global market size. , the industry still has a lot of room for development.

With the gradual implementation of the "China Brain Project", cities such as Shanghai, Suzhou, Chengdu, and Hangzhou have begun to compete to develop the brain-computer intelligence industry. According to data from the Qianzhan Industry Research Institute, the global brain-computer interface market size is expected to grow from approximately US$1.2 billion in 2019 to US$3.7 billion in 2027. McKinsey predicts that the global brain-computer interface industry will create economic benefits worth between US$70 billion and US$200 billion in the next 10-20 years.

Wang Shouyan, deputy director of the Institute of Brain-inspired Intelligence Science and Technology at Fudan University, said that brain-computer interface technology currently has related technologies used in the medical field, but it needs to achieve the dream reappearance, memory enhancement, and knowledge depicted in the movie. Writing, as well as ideas and research on virtual brains, digital twin brains, etc. are still in their early stages.

He said, "As for the applications of brain-computer interfaces that are 'far away and close at hand', it cannot be generalized at present. The development of technology is fast or slow. In the future, there will definitely be more cutting-edge technologies to help mankind solve more problems. The problem."

Foresight Economist APP Information Group

For more detailed research and analysis of this industry, please see the "2023-2028 China Brain-Computer Interface Industry Development Prospects Forecast and Investment Strategic Planning Analysis Report" of the Qianzhan Industry Research Institute. At the same time, the Qianzhan Industry Research Institute also provides industrial big data, industry research, Policy research, industrial chain consulting, industrial mapping, industrial planning, park planning, industrial investment promotion, IPO fundraising feasibility study, IPO business and technical writing, IPO working paper consultation and other solutions.

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