800 Kilometers Apart, Brain-Computer Interface by BrainCo Enables Chess Match Between Two Quadriplegic Patients

(Source: Shangguan News)

NeuroXess Recently Disclosed Latest Clinical Progress: Two Patients with High-Level Paraplegia Completed a Chess Match 800 Kilometers Apart via Brain-Computer Interface. Both Participants Were Subjects of NeuroXess’s Self-Developed Brain-Computer Interface System.

Xiao Zhang, located in Shanghai, controls piece selection and placement on a virtual chessboard via a brain-computer interface, with commands transmitted in real time to a small device at the Nanchang end.Robot, with a robot moving the pieces on a physical chessboard on their behalf; meanwhile, Teacher Deng from Nanchang grasped the actual chess pieces using a brain-controlled exoskeleton glove. Throughout the entire game, the two participants, located in different places, completed every move via neural signals.

Yang Qinrong, Algorithm Director at NeuroXess, stated, “Chess playing is not a single cursor click, but a continuous sequence of operations—selecting a piece, moving it, and placing it. Moreover, patients need to switch between different cognitive states, such as strategic thinking and waiting for the opponent’s move. This places higher demands on the real-time performance and anti-interference capability of the decoding algorithm.”

This capability is largely attributable to the brain-computer interface system’s end-to-end latency being controlled within 50 milliseconds—twice as fast as a blink. The external device responds synchronously at the very moment the patient’s brain generates motor intent, thereby eliminating the sense of cognitive disconnection during operation.

Xiao Zhang, located in Shanghai, uses a brain-computer interface to control piece selection and placement on a virtual chessboard.

Mr. Zhang, who has suffered from high-level paraplegia for eight years and has been completely immobile below the shoulders, underwent brain-computer interface (BCI) implantation surgery at Huashan Hospital Affiliated to Fudan University in October 2025. On the fifth day post-surgery, he achieved brain-controlled cursor movement; after 17 days of training, his brain-control rate reached 5.2 bits per second, surpassing that of able-bodied individuals. Currently, he can use the BCI system to browse the internet, play video games, operate a smart wheelchair and home appliances, and even independently purchase New Year goods and send digital red envelopes.

After the chess match concluded, Teacher Deng, assisted by an exoskeletal glove, wrote the characters for “Success” with a calligraphy brush. Formerly an art teacher, Teacher Deng suffered high-level paraplegia due to an accident, resulting in near-total loss of motor function in his hands. In December 2025, under the guidance of Huashan Hospital, he underwent implantation of a brain-computer interface (BCI) system at the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University. One month post-surgery, he was able to eat, drink, and write with the aid of BCI-controlled exoskeleton assistance. This April, leveraging functional electrical stimulation (FES) technology driven by the brain-computer interface, he held a paintbrush and created a family portrait.

The two rehabilitation trajectories jointly demonstrate that the decoding algorithm exhibits high generalizability across individual differences.

Teacher Deng from Nanchang Grasps Real Chess Pieces Using a Brain-Controlled Exoskeleton Glove

This brain-controlled chess match demonstrated the capability chain of brain-computer interfaces, progressing from “neural signal decoding” to “controlling external devices,” and further to “assisting one’s own limb movements.”

Liu Yang, Medical Director at NeuroXess, stated, “Chinese chess pieces are small in size and light in weight, demanding far greater precision and force control in grasping than the cylindrical objects commonly used in rehabilitation training. Teacher Deng’s independent completion of an entire chess match using a brain-controlled exoskeleton glove demonstrates that the system can already assist patients in performing fine motor skills approaching those required for daily living.”

According to the introduction, this brain-computer interface system employs flexible cortical electrodes that adhere to the surface of the brain rather than penetrating brain tissue, thereby avoiding neural damage. Heat-generating components, such as the battery and processor, are implanted subcutaneously in the chest to keep heat sources away from the brain, ensuring long-term safety. The surgical procedure adopts the established paradigm of deep brain stimulation, eliminating the need for specialized surgical robots and facilitating the broader adoption of this technology in more hospitals.

Original Title: "800 Kilometers Apart, NeuroXess's Brain-Computer Interface Helps Two Patients with High-Level Paraplegia Play Chess"

Image source: NeuroXess

Source: Author: Huang Haihua, Jiefang Daily