Beijing Brain II Expected to Enter Clinical Trials by End of 2026

Our Staff Reporter (Liu Suyan) A macaque with the "Beijing Brain No.2" intelligent brain-computer system implanted in its brain remained completely still, purely using its "thoughts" to control the system and continuously clicking on flashing red dots on the screen with precision. Yesterday, the Beijing Institute for Brain Science and Brain-like Intelligence announced that after long-term animal experiments, the "Beijing Brain No.2" intelligent brain-computer system is expected to enter human trials by the end of 2026, moving into the clinical validation phase.

What was implanted into the macaque's skull were the electrodes of "Beijing Brain No. 2," as thin as a hair. Luo Minmin, director of the Beijing Brain Institute, introduced that the electrodes have been implanted in its brain for over two years and can still accurately capture the activity data of five to six hundred nerve cells at the sub-millisecond scale. Based on these brain signals, the algorithm model can accurately predict the macaque’s movement intentions and ultimately complete the action of clicking on a red dot on the screen.

"The brain tissue is very soft and constantly active, which poses a challenge to the stable acquisition of micrometer-level signals. This requires the algorithm to be smarter and more intelligent, with the ability to make stable adjustments over days." Luo Minmin provided a set of experimental data: "Beinao II" can transmit up to about 7.2 bits of brain electrical signals per second. The intuitive result is that, "The macaque controls the cursor very smoothly, and its response is even faster than human manual control."

Currently, "NEUCYBER-2" has completed the development of a 512-channel engineering prototype, and animal experiments are being continuously advanced. Plans are in place to initiate investigator-initiated clinical research (IIT) by the end of 2026.

The developer of "BrainX-2" is NEUCYBER, a tech company incubated by the Beijing Brain Institute. The company also developed the intelligent brain-computer system "BrainX-1," which once captured global attention. At the end of March, "BrainX-1" initiated standardized, large-scale pivotal clinical trials, with surgeries successfully completed for enrolled patients at Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Xuanwu Hospital, and other medical institutions. It is expected that "BrainX-1" will obtain clinical registration certification by 2027.

Simply put, the two "NEUCYBER" devices establish connections with the brain in different ways. "NEUCYBER One" is semi-invasive, with electrode patches placed outside the dura mater, not penetrating brain tissue, thus having minimal impact on patients. "NEUCYBER Two" is invasive, with electrodes implanted into brain tissue to record precise neural electrical activity from individual neurons or very small regions. Based on the information released so far, "NEUCYBER One" can help patients with spinal cord injuries, strokes, or ALS rebuild motor or speech functions. It can be predicted that "NEUCYBER Two," with its direct contact, is expected to better "understand" the brain, achieving more refined decoding and motion control functions.

The ability to simultaneously develop both semi-invasive and invasive intelligent brain-computer systems is not common among global technology companies. Luo Minmin believes that both the Beijing Brain Institute and NEUCYBER have fully benefited from "geographical advantage" and "harmony among people." Both organizations are located in Changping District.ZhongguancunLife Science Park. The Zhongguan Village (Changping) Brain Science and Brain-Computer Interface Industry Park is being accelerated here. "The park provides us with support in terms of technology, talent, and concepts, speeding up the research, development, and validation of brain-computer interface products."

This "bonus" continues to manifest. As the development of "BeiNao No.1" and "BeiNao No.2" progresses, the original preparation platform—the Micro-Nano Technology Center established by the Beijing Brain Institute—faces production challenges. The park is undertaking the construction of a larger-scale production line.

Not only is the Zhongguan Village (Changping) Brain Science and Brain-Computer Interface Industrial Park being developed, but Beijing's first brain science and brain-computer interface industrial cluster is also accelerating its construction in Changping District. The district is also strategically laying out a specialized fund for brain science and brain-computer interface initiatives, focusing on supporting early-stage projects and incubating innovative enterprises, injecting financial "liquidity" into the development of the brain science and brain-computer interface industry, and pushing for scientific and technological achievements to move rapidly from the lab to the market.