China completes world's first brain-computer interface experiment on primate subject

China has successfully conducted the world's first brain-computer interface experiment on a non-human primate in Beijing on Thursday, Beijing Daily reported.

The experiment successfully implemented an brain-computer interface in monkeys, allowing them to control a robotic arm with their thoughts. The report said the experiment's success has positioned China as a front-runner in the technology.

Brain-computer interface technology can convert electrical signals into commands, so as to help patients with conditions that cause motor dysfunction, such as stroke and ALS, interact with their environment and improve their quality of life, said Ma Yongjie, a neurosurgeon at Beijing-based Xuanwu Hospital Capital Medical University. Ma was one of the team members who carried out the experiment.

"The success of the first animal trial is a breakthrough from zero to one, but getting the success to the clinic is a process from 1 to 100, so we still have a long way to go," he was quoted by the paper as saying.