TIANJIN, July 2 (Xinhua) -- Electrodes taped to her forearm and a sensor-studded cap on her head, a stroke patient watched a screen where a virtual hand slowly closed. She fixed her gaze on the image, let her attention narrow, and held one thought: make a fist.
The electrodes fired, and her fingers curled inward. She looked at her hand and smiled, then lifted her head, waiting for the next signal.
The patient was receiving innovative therapy at a hospital in north China's Tianjin Municipality, supported by brain-computer interface (BCI) technology. The therapy draws on "motor imagery," in which the brain continues to produce movement-related signals even after the body has lost the ability to respond.
Using non-invasive electroencephalogram sensors that capture neural signals from the scalp, the system decodes such signals through algorithms and converts them into commands that activate external stimulators. This creates a feedback loop that gradually rebuilds the brain-body connection.
"Compared with traditional passive training that relies on therapists to physically move patients' limbs, BCI-based therapy delivers greater intensity and efficiency," said Gu Bin, general manager of the company that developed the device, adding that when patients are engaged in active imagination, their confidence and sense of control over movements can be strengthened.
Gu's company is one of several startups incubated by the Haihe Laboratory of Brain-Computer Interaction and Human-Machine Integration at Tianjin University. The laboratory and its spin-off companies are now pushing BCI applications beyond restoring lost functions, into areas that improve overall well-being for a broader range of people.
"Should auld acquaintance be forgot, and never brought to mind?" The curtain rose, and voices from a children's choir, aged six to twelve, rang out clear and bright. They stood like any school choir -- focused, confident and a few fidgeting with nervous energy -- except that every child on stage wore a cochlear implant.
The choir, named Little Dolphins, brings together hearing-impaired children from schools across Tianjin. In recent months, alongside their rehearsals, performances and competitions, the children have taken on a different task, namely taking part in an auditory assessment powered by BCI technology.
"In traditional practice, doctors can only tell whether a cochlear implant recipient hears a sound, but not whether they hear clearly or understand it, especially in the case of young children who cannot express what they perceive. BCI can now explore this gray area by extracting and decoding brainwave patterns," said Ni Guangjian, executive deputy director of the laboratory.
Ni revealed that Little Dolphins has been around for over a decade, and parents and teachers have long noticed improvements in the children's emotional well-being and comprehension after choir training. "But the training has relied on experience, and we hope the data from this BCI assessment could help turn that experience into a replicable model for more children," he said.
Beyond clinical applications, BCI technology is also extending its reach into everyday life, helping people better understand and manage their own physical and mental states.
China Electronics Cloud Brain (Tianjin) Technology Co., Ltd. has developed a brain-computer headband aimed at helping people with sleep difficulties. The device tracks long-term sleep trends and supports sleep improvement through calming music and cranial electrotherapy stimulation.
Across the country, policymakers are also stepping up support for the BCI sector, with growing recognition of its potential to reshape healthcare and beyond.
The BCI sector was designated a future industry in this year's government work report. It was also included in the outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030) as the country aims to cultivate it into a new engine of growth.
More specifically, a guideline issued by seven authorities last August laid out short-term targets for the innovative development of this sector, including achieving key breakthroughs in BCI technologies with an advanced technology system, industrial system and standards system, by 2027, and significantly enhancing the innovation capacity of the industry with its overall strength ranking among the world's leaders by 2030.
Investors' interest in the BCI sector has been growing alongside policy support. According to an April think tank report on the BCI sector, total funding raised by Chinese BCI companies in the first quarter of 2026 had already surpassed the amount raised in all of 2025. It predicts that China's BCI market could exceed 5 billion yuan (about 734.34 million U.S. dollars) in 2026 and surpass 15 billion yuan by 2030.
This growing policy and investment momentum is now attracting a wave of companies eager to seize the opportunities in the BCI sector.
"While we are confident about the future of BCI, we need to keep our expectations grounded. This technology should not be treated as science fiction or a gimmick, but as a tool to solve real-world problems in specific areas. Only by doing so can the industry achieve healthy and sustainable growth," Ni said. ■
