A recent clinical trial in Shanghai has enabled a paralyzed patient to control a wheelchair and even a robotic dog using only his thoughts, in what Chinese researchers call a breakthrough for brain-computer interface (BCI) technology.
The trial was operated on a middle-aged man, who became quadriplegic after a spinal cord injury in 2022. He regained only limited head and neck movement despite more than a year of rehabilitation.
In June 2025, Chinese researchers implanted him with a minimally invasive BCI system. After two to three weeks of training, he was able to control a computer cursor and tablet using his thoughts, matching the results of the team's first clinical trial.
This time, researchers expanded the system from two-dimensional screen control to three-dimensional interaction with the physical world, enabling ultra-low-latency control of a power wheelchair and even a robotic dog.
"The patient can use the robotic dog as an extension of his own body, as an intelligent agent, to go downstairs and pick up deliveries. He can also control a wheelchair with his thoughts and go outside for a walk. This has greatly enriched his daily life," said Zhao Zhengtuo, a researcher from the Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology (CEBSIT) under the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).
It might sound jarring, but Zhao said the surgery -- the second CAS-led invasive brain-computer interface clinical trial -- is minimally invasive.
"This is our brain-computer interface system. It consists of two parts. The front-end sensor is like an extremely thin wire, about one-hundredth the thickness of a human hair. A five-to-eight-millimeter section is implanted into the brain. The processor is embedded into the skull after thinning the bone by about three to five millimeters. Overall, it is a minimally invasive procedure," said Zhao.
After the implant procedure, the patient is guided to use his thoughts.
"Although the patient cannot move his limbs, he can imagine movements, such as rotating his wrist. We map those intentions to external devices. It's like integrating the device into his body and experiencing it as part of himself," said Zhao.
Speed is a critical aspect of the technology. By customizing communication protocols, the team reduced the end-to-end delay from neural signal acquisition to command execution by external devices to under 100 milliseconds, faster than the body's natural neural delay. This creates a seamless control experience.
For now, invasive brain-computer interfaces are focused on medical use, with dozens of clinical cases already completed. China hopes to promote large-scale BCI applications for people with special needs in the foreseeable future.
"In the future, there will be more applications, including decoding language and other intentions from the brain. We might find better ways to express internal brain information through external devices," said Pu Muming, a scientific director of CEBSIT, and also a CAS academician.
Brain-computer interface trial lets paralyzed man control wheelchair and robotic dog by thoughts
Russia said on Saturday that its armed forces had taken control over two more settlements in the Sumy and Donetsk regions, while Ukraine, on the same day, reported strikes against a Russian frigate.
The Russian Ministry of Defense said in its latest report that over the past 24 hours, the Russian forces had gained control over the settlements of Vysoke in the Sumy region and Svitle in the Donetsk region.
The ministry also said its forces had struck facilities used to transport Western-supplied weapons, ammunition and fuel depots, as well as temporary deployment sites of Ukrainian forces and foreign mercenaries.
On the same day, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said that in the early hours of Friday, Ukrainian troops had successfully hit a Russian frigate using drones. The warship was patrolling near an oil and gas production platform in the Caspian Sea at the time.
It said efforts are currently underway to determine the extent of damage to the vessel and to confirm its hull number.
It also reported that a drilling platform located at the Filanovsky oil and gas field in the Caspian Sea had been struck. The platform, owned by Russian energy corporation Lukoil, has been supplying materials to Russian troops.
So far, there has been no official response from the Russian side regarding these incidents.
Also on Saturday, according to Russia's TASS News Agency, Russian President Vladimir Putin's special envoy Kirill Dmitriev had arrived at a golf club in Miami, U.S. state of Florida, where he held a new round of talks regarding a draft peace plan to resolve the Russia-Ukraine conflict with U.S. President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner.
Following the meeting, Dmitriev described the talks with the U.S. as constructive and said that discussions would continue on Sunday.
A day earlier, Ukraine's chief peace negotiator, Rustem Umerov, and the chief of the general staff of the Ukrainian armed forces, Andrii Hnatov, had held consultations in the United States with American and European counterparts on the draft peace plan for the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Saturday that Umerov had briefed him on the previous day's talks between Ukraine and the U.S.
He revealed that the issue of territory remains unresolved and emphasized that Ukraine is committed to reaching a stable and lasting peace agreement that provides reliable long-term security guarantees.
According to Zelensky, the U.S. has proposed holding a trilateral meeting involving the national security advisors of Ukraine, the United States and Russia.
Noting that in the negotiations for a potential peace agreement, the most critical issue -- territory -- remains unsettled, Zelensky said that any agreement should establish the current line of contact as a ceasefire line, with the goal of gradually reclaiming Ukraine’s occupied territories through diplomatic means on that basis. He further emphasized that Ukraine has made it clear to its American partners that, under its constitution, Ukraine cannot cede any territory.
Currently, Ukraine is working with its partners to outline every clause of the agreement, ensuring that it is not a vague deal about the division of territory and resources, but rather one focused on stable, lasting peace and reliable security guarantees, Zelensky said.
He said the security guarantee clauses for Ukraine in the agreement must be fair and effective, and that Ukraine must be fully informed of the specific details -- including how the United States and Europe would respond and react if Russia were to launch another attack, and what kind of deterrence package Ukraine would receive.
Regarding elections, Zelensky said that two aspects require attention in any future Ukrainian elections: security and legislation.
He said that during wartime, ways must be found to advance legislative reforms, while voting can only take place if security is guaranteed. Ukraine has already discussed this matter with the U.S., added Zelensky.
Russia claims capturing 2 more settlements, Ukraine claims strike on Russian frigate
