Chinese company BrainCo has unveiled a platform that enables control of robots through thought alone. At the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai, the company demonstrated its Brain-Controlled Robot AI Platform: a user wears an EEG headset, mentally formulates an intention, and the robot executes the command without buttons, voice control, or physical movements.
The system operates in three stages. The EEG headset reads the user’s brain signals, artificial intelligence identifies the human intention, such as “grasp an object,” and then converts it into commands for the robot.
According to BrainCo, the entire cycle from brain signal to action takes less than 200 milliseconds.
During the demonstration, a robotic arm, guided by human thoughts, picked up a cup and lifted an apple. BrainCo states that its platform is compatible with existing robots of various types—from humanoid models to manipulators and four-legged robots. This allows the system to be used in current robotics laboratories without the need for specialized equipment.
Photo: BrainCo
Beyond robot control, BrainCo showcased a data collection system for training embodied AI—an artificial intelligence model that interacts with the physical world through robots. The company believes that one of the main challenges in this field remains a lack of quality data: to teach a machine to fold clothes or handle fragile objects, large volumes of real-world examples are required. The new system utilizes a mobile setup with two robotic arms and a sensor glove that records human movements, while also capturing brain signals during task execution.
BrainCo has been working with brain-computer interfaces (BCI) since 2015 and previously focused on technologies for medical rehabilitation, including prosthetics controlled by nerve and muscle signals. This new project transfers accumulated expertise into the field of robotics, where the company is simultaneously advancing both a brain-controlled interface and artificial intelligence models for physical machines.
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