China's origami-inspired brain implant can 'float' on neural tissue

Chinese researchers have developed a novel brain implant inspired by origami and kirigami techniques, designed to be soft, stretchable, and capable of moving with the brain rather than remaining rigid. Traditional brain-computer interfaces (BCIs), such as those by Neuralink, use rigid electrode threads that can shift or retract due to the brain’s natural movements from heartbeat and breathing, leading to reduced signal quality and potential tissue damage. To address this, the Chinese Academy of Sciences team created coil-like, spiral electrode threads that can stretch, compress, and absorb motion, reducing mechanical stress on brain tissue. The implant is also placed on a hydrogel layer to minimize friction and tissue damage, allowing the electrodes to "float" on the brain. Testing on macaque monkeys demonstrated that this origami-inspired BCI could simultaneously record activity from over 700 cortical neurons across a large brain area, maintaining stable recordings with minimal displacement compared to traditional designs. This advancement is significant for BCI applications such as aiding paralyzed