TY - JOUR
T1 - An ultrasoft, breathable, and multichannel ear-computer interface patch
AU - Sun, Ying
AU - Liu, Weijia
AU - Zhang, Hao
AU - Du, Zhijian
AU - Liu, Haiqing
AU - Ma, Kang
AU - Li, Dapeng
AU - Wang, Shuai
AU - Fan, Shangchun
AU - Li, La
AU - Zheng, Dezhi
AU - Shen, Guozhen
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2026 Science China Press
PY - 2026/3/15
Y1 - 2026/3/15
N2 - Brain-computer interface (BCI) presented by the non-invasive electroencephalography (EEG) cap/band or implantable chips enabling people to fast and reliable control computers or mobile devices with thoughts has redefined the boundaries of human capabilities. However, the existing cap/band-adhered sticky gel usually needs to be tightly fixed on the scalp through the hair to ensure intimate contact, which inconveniences the user. And the implantable chips represented by Neuralink gave a living example of how BCI can make quadriplegic live better, but the destructive unacceptable for healthy people. Here we proposed a multichannel wearable ear-computer interface (ECI) patch worn behind the ears for direct communication and control via brain activity. The 8-channel ECI patch based on MXene electrode was prepared by a facile direct inject print approach on the soft, thin, and breathable medical film that enables superior adherence. The fatigue induction experiments tested by the ECI patch offer an average classification accuracy of 90.5%, showing effective monitoring of the fatigue state. Participants wearing the ECI patch also perform the 4-target steady state visual evoked potential (SSVEP) BCI classification offline and online experiment, the online 4-route tasks reap a comparable average accuracy of 93.5% to the commercial cap. Moreover, the complex route task relied on the subjects who gave commands while observing the unmanned vehicle completed 3 times, demonstrating the reliability and possibility of the ECI patch.
AB - Brain-computer interface (BCI) presented by the non-invasive electroencephalography (EEG) cap/band or implantable chips enabling people to fast and reliable control computers or mobile devices with thoughts has redefined the boundaries of human capabilities. However, the existing cap/band-adhered sticky gel usually needs to be tightly fixed on the scalp through the hair to ensure intimate contact, which inconveniences the user. And the implantable chips represented by Neuralink gave a living example of how BCI can make quadriplegic live better, but the destructive unacceptable for healthy people. Here we proposed a multichannel wearable ear-computer interface (ECI) patch worn behind the ears for direct communication and control via brain activity. The 8-channel ECI patch based on MXene electrode was prepared by a facile direct inject print approach on the soft, thin, and breathable medical film that enables superior adherence. The fatigue induction experiments tested by the ECI patch offer an average classification accuracy of 90.5%, showing effective monitoring of the fatigue state. Participants wearing the ECI patch also perform the 4-target steady state visual evoked potential (SSVEP) BCI classification offline and online experiment, the online 4-route tasks reap a comparable average accuracy of 93.5% to the commercial cap. Moreover, the complex route task relied on the subjects who gave commands while observing the unmanned vehicle completed 3 times, demonstrating the reliability and possibility of the ECI patch.
KW - Brain-computer interface
KW - Ear-computer interface
KW - Electroencephalography
KW - TiCT MXene
KW - Wearable electronics
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105028253632
U2 - 10.1016/j.scib.2025.12.042
DO - 10.1016/j.scib.2025.12.042
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:105028253632
SN - 2095-9273
VL - 71
SP - 1165
EP - 1175
JO - Science Bulletin
JF - Science Bulletin
IS - 5
ER -