China’s First Brain-Controlled Acupuncture Platform “Shengong-Huatuo” Is Here—And It’s Wild

• Origins: Developed for China’s National Manned Spaceflight Program as “Space Acupuncture.”
• Testing: Deployed on Shenzhou series spacecraft to treat astronauts in zero gravity.
• Modernization: Integrated with Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) and AI at Haihe Laboratory.
• Deployment: Officially launched as a clinical platform for earth-based neural rehabilitation.

China just officially launched Shengong-Huatuo (神工-华佗), a neural rehabilitation platform that combines brain-computer interface (BCI) technology with traditional acupuncture.

This isn’t your grandmother’s acupuncture needle, and it’s definitely not standard BCI tech either.

We’re talking about a hybrid system that uses your brain signals to control intelligent acupuncture needles for rehabilitation purposes.

If that sounds sci-fi, that’s because it kind of is.

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What Is Brain-Controlled Acupuncture, Really?

Let’s break this down into what actually matters.

The Haihe Laboratory of Brain-Computer Interaction and Human-Machine Integration (Naoji Jiaohu yu Renji Gongrong Haihe Shiyanshi 脑机交互与人机共融海河实验室) announced the successful deployment of Shengong-Huatuo.

This is China’s first neural rehabilitation equipment platform that fuses brain-controlled technology with acupuncture therapy.

Translation: Your brain sends signals that tell smart acupuncture needles exactly where and how to stimulate pressure points on your body.

The platform combines two things that historically never mixed:

• Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) — technology that reads electrical signals from your brain
• Intelligent Wearable Acupuncture — smart needles that respond to those signals and deliver targeted stimulation

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Who Built This Thing?

This wasn’t a solo project.

The Smart Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) team was led by Zhou Peng (周鹏) at the Haihe Laboratory.

But the real magic happened through collaboration between some heavy hitters:

• The First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (Tianjin Zhongyiyao Daxue Di Yi Fushou Yiyuan 天津中医药大学第一附属医院)
• The Tianjin Binhai New Area TCM Hospital (Tianjin Shi Binhai Xinqu Zhongyi Yiyuan 天津市滨海新区中医医院)
• Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (Tianjin Zhongyiyao Daxue 天津中医药大学)
• T-AImedi (Tianzhong Yimai 天中依脉) — the company commercializing the tech

So you’ve got academic institutions, hospitals actively treating patients, and a tech company all working together.

That’s the blueprint for actually scaling medical innovation.

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From Space to the Clinic: How This Project Actually Started

Here’s where it gets interesting.

This brain-controlled acupuncture system didn’t originate in a lab chasing the next Silicon Valley trend.

It came from China’s National Manned Spaceflight Program.

Seriously.

The Space Acupuncture Backstory

Years ago, a joint team from Tianjin University (Tianjin Daxue 天津大学) and Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine developed something called a “Portable Transcutaneous Electrical Acupoint Stimulation Device”.

It had a catchier name inside the aerospace industry: “Space Acupuncture.”

This wasn’t just lab work—it actually flew.

The device was carried aboard multiple Shenzhou (神舟) series manned spacecraft to conduct space-based experiments.

Why?

Because astronauts deal with unique medical challenges in zero gravity, and traditional medicine principles—paired with modern electrical stimulation—showed promise for supporting their health.

The research team spent years modernizing TCM techniques and integrating them with cutting-edge technologies like brain-computer interfaces.

Think about that for a second: Chinese researchers were literally testing acupuncture innovation in space while most Western medicine ignored the entire category.

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The Jump From Space to Earth-Based Neural Rehabilitation

The Shengong-Huatuo platform represents the bridge between those space experiments and actual patient care.

Instead of astronauts in orbit, we’re now talking about patients dealing with:

• Neurological impairments
• Motor control issues
• Recovery from stroke or injury
• Other conditions requiring neural rehabilitation

The system reads brain signals and uses them to control intelligent acupuncture stimulation.

This creates a feedback loop where your brain literally directs your own rehabilitation.

That’s the opposite of passive treatment.

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Why This Matters for Investors and Tech Builders

If you’re paying attention to where innovation is actually happening, this is a perfect case study.

Pattern #1: China Is Integrating Old and New

While Western tech companies obsess over completely replacing traditional approaches, China’s doing something smarter: upgrading traditional medicine with modern technology.

This isn’t cultural nostalgia—it’s a pragmatic approach to healthcare innovation.

TCM has thousands of years of empirical data.

BCI is the frontier of neurotechnology.

Combining them creates something neither could achieve alone.

Pattern #2: Space Programs Drive Civilian Innovation

Notice how this started with the National Manned Spaceflight Program, not a startup pitch deck.

China’s aerospace investments are spinning off practical healthcare applications.

That’s a different innovation model than venture capital-driven development.

Both work, but they produce different outcomes.

Pattern #3: Hospital-University-Company Collaboration Actually Works

The team isn’t fragmented between academia and industry.

It’s integrated:

• Universities handle research
• Hospitals validate clinical effectiveness and provide patient feedback
• The company (T-AImedi) handles commercialization and deployment

This is how medical innovations actually reach patients.

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What Happens Next?

The platform has officially been deployed.

That means hospitals are now using it with real patients.

Clinical data will follow.

If the results are solid, expect international interest in brain-controlled acupuncture technology.

For investors tracking the intersection of neurotechnology and healthcare, this is worth monitoring.

For founders building healthcare tech, this is a masterclass in actually integrating traditional medicine with modern technology.

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The Bottom Line on Brain-Controlled Acupuncture

Shengong-Huatuo represents something bigger than one platform.

It’s evidence that China is pursuing a different healthcare innovation strategy than the West.

Instead of racing to replace traditional medicine, they’re upgrading it with AI, BCI, and intelligent hardware.

The tech started in space.

Now it’s helping patients on Earth.

And it’s just getting started—neural rehabilitation through brain-controlled acupuncture is opening new possibilities for how we think about recovery and treatment.

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References

• Brain-Computer Haihe Laboratory: China’s First “TCM Brain-Computer Interface” Equipment Launched – People’s Fortune (Renmin Caixun 人民财讯)
• Advancing Neural Engineering and Brain-Computer Interfaces – Tianjin University
• Modernization of Traditional Chinese Medicine Research – Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine