Information/Technology - 10. page

Russian state media outlet Sputnik News reported on May 18 that China’s BeiDou satellite-based radio navigation system has been recognized by the United Nations as a core Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) provider. BeiDou has been fully incorporated into the standards frameworks of 11 international bodies, including those for civil aviation, maritime services, and mobile communications. BeiDou-based services and products are now exported to more than 140 countries and regions.

On May 18, the China Satellite Navigation & Positioning Association released its 2025 White Paper on the Development of China’s Satellite Navigation and Location-Based Service (LBS) Industry. The report shows that, in 2024, China’s satellite-navigation and LBS industry, centered on BeiDou, generated a total output of RMB 575.8 billion (US$ 79 billion), a year-on-year increase of 7.39 percent.

Key figures for 2024 include:

• Total sales of satellite-navigation terminal products in China exceeded 410 million units.
  • Smartphones with GNSS functionality: 294 million units shipped.
  • In-vehicle navigation devices: 20 million units sold.
  • Various monitoring and positioning terminals – including handheld, Internet of Things (IoT), wearables, automotive (including two-wheelers), high-precision, and shipborne devices – more than 120 million units.
• Cumulative shipments of BeiDou-compatible chips and modules (including those in smartphones) approached 2.3 billion units by the end of 2024.
• The total number of BeiDou-enabled terminals in use (again including smartphones) has surpassed 2 billion units.

Source: Sputnik, May 18, 2025
https://sputniknews.cn/20250518/1065550328.html

A Chinese technology news website reported that the CyberSense flexible microelectrode implantation robot, developed by the Institute of Automation at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, has passed the preliminary acceptance stage for Shenzhen’s major scientific infrastructure project on “Brain Mapping and Brain Simulation.” The robot is designed to implant flexible microelectrodes – thinner and softer than a strand of hair – into the cerebral cortex of experimental animals, providing crucial support for brain-computer interface (BCI) and neuroscience research.

Guided by an intelligent sensing system, CyberSense robot can achieve micron-level three-dimensional precision, implanting multiple micro-thread electrodes (≤10 microns thick, ≤100 microns wide) while avoiding brain blood vessels. Because the implantation process uses a hard needle that repeatedly moves up and down to handle the soft threads – much like a sewing machine – researchers refer to it as a “sewing machine”-style implant.

Once implanted, the flexible microelectrodes can transmit the brain’s neural electrical signals to a microchip. The chip processes and communicates these signals to interpret the brain’s information processing activities and control external devices. It can also stimulate nearby neurons via microcurrents to regulate brain activity.

Implantable BCI offers powerful benefits such as thought-controlled devices, speech synthesis, and vision restoration for people with disabilities. It also allows scientists to study brain function using high-throughput neural data. However, they also raise ethical concerns for humanity.

On July 3, 2024, Tianjin University announced that it has cultivated human brain organoids from human stem cells and successfully connected them to a robot using on-chip BCI technology. They called it the first human brain controlled robot.

Source:
1. Bioon.com, May 6, 2025
https://news.bioon.com/article/29648e48460b.html
2. IT Home, July 5, 2025
https://www.ithome.com/0/779/903.htm

Chinese state news outlet Xinhua recently ran two articles on Beijing’s “Intelligent Robotics” initiative, saying that the government and businesses are “jointly working on making [that direction] another ‘great Chinese success.'”

Xinhua said that, from the central government to local administrations, a series of initiatives have been launched to promote the development of intelligent robots. “With coordinated efforts from both policy and market sides, the industry is booming.” According to the article, some institutions predict that the scale of China’s robotics industry will grow to around 400 billion yuan (US$ 55 billion) during the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP’s) 15th Five-Year Plan period. “The future is already here, bringing boundless opportunities.” Below are some more excerpts from the articles:

“The government has strong policy support in place: China has established a 60 billion yuan national artificial intelligence fund; the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology is promoting “Robots+” supply-demand matching and application rollout; central and local governments are jointly building innovation centers for embodied intelligence and humanoid robots…

“In the first quarter, China’s output of industrial and service robots reached 149,000 and 2.6 million units respectively, representing year-on-year growth of 26 percent and 20 percent.

“Take the recent full-industry robotics matchmaking conference held in Shenzhen as an example: industrial robots have been upgraded from “mechanical arms” to “smart brains”; collaborative robots demonstrated intelligent operation solutions; participating companies showcased advanced technologies, such as transitioning from “dexterous hands” to “electronic skin.”

“On April 19, Beijing hosted the world’s first “Human-Robot Co-Run” half marathon, with 20 humanoid robots participating in the race.”

Sources:
1. Xinhua, May 6, 2025
http://www.xinhuanet.com/fortune/20250506/9220cd55101c44359b33bcb90d28232b/c.html
2. Xinhua, April 20, 2025
http://www.news.cn/tech/20250420/53172980dd8a4c5e81b4519380a09eac/c.html