Dynamic Solution Begins BCI Clinical Trials in Korea and Germany... Accelerating Commercialization of 'Thought-Controlled Robots'

BCI demonstration by DynamicSolution. Provided by DynamicSolution

Dynamic Solution (formerly known as Neofect) is preparing to conduct clinical trials of its artificial intelligence (AI)-enhanced brain-computer interface (BCI) technology simultaneously in Korea and Germany. On April 9, the company announced this plan, officially embarking on its entry into global clinical research.

BCI is a technology that reads electrical signals generated in the brain through sensors to control machines. It enables patients with limited physical mobility due to conditions such as Parkinson's disease, stroke, or spinal cord injury to control robotic hands or arms simply through specific thoughts.

This study is part of the 'NEUROSTAR' project, an international joint research and development (R&D) initiative on 'BCI-Robot Technology Convergence' led by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. Four institutions are participating in the consortium, including Dynamic Solution, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Charite University Hospital in Berlin, and Imagin. The consortium completed the first phase of BCI prototype development in 2021, and is currently progressing with the second phase, which focuses on intelligence enhancement and commercialization R&D.

In the upcoming clinical trials, Dynamic Solution's multi-degree-of-freedom (Multi-DOF) upper extremity robot and EEG transmission software will serve as core equipment. This technology is characterized by its ability to minimize information bottlenecks that occur during biosignal processing, significantly improving the robot's response speed and precision.

The company has secured differentiated competitiveness in the technology domain that transmits brainwaves generated from the user's intention to move to physical AI, realizing actual physical force. This is based on more than 40 national R&D achievements accumulated over 16 years since its founding in 2010. Recently, the integration of sensor, data processing, and AI analysis technologies has led the company to be regarded as 'the domestic enterprise closest to realizing BCI'.

BCI is attracting attention as a next-generation technology that is expanding beyond rehabilitation and disability overcoming into various industries. The application range is rapidly broadening to include remote medicine, drones and robots, defense industry, augmented reality (AR), and virtual reality (VR).

Global competition among major countries is also intensifying. The United States, China, Japan, and Germany are fostering BCI as a strategic industry. Notably, China is taking an aggressive approach in terms of regulatory approval speed and investment scale. China has set a goal to establish core technologies and an industrial ecosystem by 2027, and to nurture global leading companies to rival Neuralink by 2030. Korea is also responding by designating BCI as a strategic industry to be intensively fostered by 2030. As such, in addition to technological competition, the speed of commercialization following clinical validation is emerging as a key factor that will determine market leadership.

The market size is also expanding rapidly. The global BCI market is estimated at approximately 167 billion dollars (about 248.8 trillion won) in 2024, and is projected to grow to around 203.7 billion dollars (about 303.4 trillion won) by 2033.

Dynamic Solution plans to prepare for commercialization alongside clinical trials. A company representative stated, "We will pursue the development of products that combine BCI with the tactile-enabled robotic hand 'X-HAND', which we transferred from the Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI), as well as remote wearable robots. We are currently discussing partnerships with BCI-specialized companies, and if a strategic alliance is formed, our technological competitiveness will be further strengthened."

The representative added, "Our BCI information transmission technology is protected by patents, creating a positive environment for collaboration with global companies. Entry into the global robot supply chain and new contracts have practically reached the final stage, and the business performance we have prepared for will become visible from the first half of the year."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.