(Yicai Global) July 6 -- State-of-the-art technologies including unmanned vehicles on the open road and brain-computer interface systems that transfer signals from the brain to external devices will be on display at the 2021 World Artificial Intelligence Conference to be held in Shanghai later this week.

Over 20 smart car tech developers will take part in the WAIC this year, which runs from July 8 to July 10, Yicai Global learned on a recent preview visit. They will showcase their latest innovations in laser radar, video-radar integration, vehicle-to-everything, information security and other areas.

A special highlight will be a ride in a self-driving vehicle on a 2.8-kilometer stretch of open road. The journey, lasting around 10 minutes, is controlled entirely by the car without needing human intervention among moving traffic and in relatively complex road conditions. It is WAIC’s first real-world passenger pick-up by an unmanned auto on public roads, a contractor told Yicai Global. Local residents can make a booking online.

Yicai Global was given a sneak peak of a brain-computer interface developed by the Chinese Academy of Science’s Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology. The technology can help treat common brain diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, paraplegia and epilepsy.

The research is pioneering because it is minimally invasive and does not require brain surgery, SIMIT Vice Director Tao Hu told Yicai Global. The technology, which has been tested on a wide range of animals including mice, rabbits and monkeys, can start to work 30 minutes after being implanted and is able to provide stable signal tracking for eight months.

Brain-Computer Interfaces will play a big role in the treatment of nerve diseases such as autism in children, depression in the young and middle-aged and alzheimer's in the elderly, Tao said. In the future, by integrating with artificial intelligence, they will even enhance the human brain's function, Tao said.

Editors: Dou Shicong, Kim Taylor