Tianjin University
Chinese university whose Haihe Laboratory develops non-invasive brain-computer interaction devices, including the 3-gram Brain Cube released in September 2026. It was approved in April 2026 to offer a new undergraduate major in brain-computer science and technology.
Overview
Tianjin University’s BCI work centres on the Haihe Laboratory of Brain-Computer Interaction and Human-Machine Integration, led by university vice president Ming Dong. By its own count, his team has commercialised more than 20 Shengong-series brain-computer interaction medical devices. The lab is the research arm of Tianjin’s BCI industrial cluster, which the city formally launched on 29 May 2026 with RMB 100 million a year in dedicated funding.
Devices
On 30 September 2026 the lab and partner company Shengong Diting released the Shengong Xumi Brain Cube, a non-invasive EEG recorder weighing 3 grams that sits among the hair and records at 1,000 samples a second for 8 to 10 hours. Its developers call it the smallest and lightest non-invasive BCI system yet made. The lab is building safety management models around it for workers in licensed high-risk trades. Price, channel count and NMPA registration status are not disclosed. In August 2026 the university and United Imaging Healthcare unveiled uMR Shenguan, an MRI-integrated closed-loop BCI framework.
Training
On 28 April 2026 China’s Ministry of Education added brain-computer science and technology to its undergraduate catalogue and approved universities including Tianjin University and Harbin Institute of Technology to offer the major from the 2026 intake. Tianjin University describes its major as the first in China dedicated to the field. The university also set up a BCI doctoral programme in 2025 and initiated a national BCI education alliance, signed by 14 universities on 29 May 2026.
Why it matters
Chinese BCI companies report difficulty hiring people who combine neuroscience, engineering and clinical skills. Tianjin University is building devices, feeding a city startup cluster and training graduates for the field at the same time.
Coverage on InsideBCI
- 17 June 2026: Tianjin has formally opened a brain-computer interface industrial cluster backed by 100 million yuan in annual funding
- 27 August 2026: China unveils uMR Shenguan, an MRI-integrated closed-loop BCI platform
- 4 October 2026: Tianjin University releases a 3-gram brain-signal recorder that sits hidden in the hair
- 14 October 2026: Chinese brain-computer interface job listings reach RMB 1.5 million a year