BrainCo
 | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Neurotechnology |
| Founded | 2015 |
| Founder | Han Bicheng |
| Headquarters | Somerville, Massachusetts, U.S |
Key people | Han Bicheng (CEO) |
| Divisions | BrainRobotics NeuroMaker STEM |
| Website | www |
BrainCo Inc. is an American neurotechnology that develops brain–computer interface products.
It is headquartered in Somerville, Massachusetts with an additional office in Hangzhou, China.
Background
[edit]BrainCo was founded in 2015 by Han Bicheng while pursuing his PhD at the center for Brain Science at Harvard University. It was incubated in the Harvard Innovation Labs.[1] Han also founded BrainRobotics which would be under BrainCo.[2]
In 2016, BrainCo received $5.5 million in seed funding to develop its first product: Focus 1. In 2017 it received $15 million from Chinese investors that included the China Electronics Corporation. James Edward Ryan also became an advisor to it.[1]
Product history
[edit]EEG headbands
[edit]In 2016, BrainCo unveiled Focus 1 which is a headband that aims to detect and report brain activity through electroencephalography (EEG). It was advertised to schools as Focus EDU where teachers can see if a student is paying attention based on EEG score. It initially received mixed reviews. It won several awards including "Most Innovative" at the 2017 International Society for Technology in Education national conference. However at the 2016 CES conference, the Focus 1 device flopped in a live demo with the The Daily Dot calling it the most "cringeworthy demonstration" at the event. At the 2017 CES conference, the live demo was successful.[1]
In April 2019, a post on Weibo showed Focus headbands being worn by pupils at an undisclosed primary school in China. It attracted criticism for being seen as constantly monitoring children as part of mass surveillance. BrainCo issued a statement stating that headbands were used in a number of school trials in China to help children improve learning efficiency and had not been sold to any public school. Despite the controversy, BrainCo had already secured a two-year contract to get its Focus 1 device manufactured and targeted shipments of 600,000 units.[2] In November 2019, it was reported that the school trials were halted in China amid parents’ privacy concerns and fears they could be used to control the children.[3]
By 2021, the product had been rebranded as FocusClam which is used to help users relax.[4]
On November 7, 2022, BrainCo released Eassleep, a headband used for sleep purposes.[5]
In October 2024, BrainCo released OxyZen which monitors heart rate, blood oxygen and brain waves to provide tailored meditation and sleep.[6]
Prosthetic limbs
[edit]At the 2020 CES conference, BrainCo unveiled the final model of its BrainRobotics prosthetic hand with the product being launched on the market that year. The hand uses brain waves and muscle signals to intuit movement.[7] Time Magazine had named it as one of the top 100 inventions of 2019. On November 7, 2022, it received FDA certification.[5]
BrainCo is also developing prosthetic legs which were demonstrated in 2021.[8]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c Johnson, Sydney (October 26, 2017). "This Company Wants to Gather Student Brainwave Data to Measure 'Engagement' - EdSurge News". EdSurge. Retrieved February 16, 2025.
- ^ a b Jiang, Meng (April 10, 2019). "Brainwave-tracking start-up in controversy over tests on children". South China Morning Post. Retrieved February 16, 2025.
- ^ Standaert, Michael (November 1, 2019). "Chinese primary school halts trial of device that monitors pupils' brainwaves". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved February 16, 2025.
- ^ Palmai, Kitti (October 10, 2021). "Smart headbands claim to make people calmer. Do they work?". BBC. Retrieved February 17, 2025.
- ^ a b "Brain-Machine Interface Firm BrainCo's BrainRobotics Hand Obtains FDA Certification". Pandaily. November 8, 2022. Retrieved February 17, 2025.
- ^ Thompson, Bronwyn (October 31, 2024). "High-tech brain computer interface trains you to relax and sleep better". New Atlas. Retrieved February 17, 2025.
- ^ DeNisco Rayome, Alison (January 6, 2020). "You can move this prosthetic hand with your mind". CNET. Retrieved February 16, 2025.
- ^ "麻省理工科技评论-发现改变世界的新兴科技". MIT Technology Review China. December 22, 2021. Retrieved February 17, 2025.
