China is making significant strides in brain-computer interface (BCI) technology—a field that enables direct communication between the human brain and external devices.

One breakthrough involves a deep brain stimulation device that allowed a man without limbs to play computer games. This is among a growing number of brain-computer interfaces currently being tested on humans in China.

According to the journal Nature, the system was developed by StairMed, a medical technology company based in Shanghai. It resembles the implants being tested by Neuralink, the California-based company owned by Elon Musk.

StairMed’s device features fewer sensors than Neuralink’s but is more compact and less invasive.

While China does not have a long history in this field compared to the United States, many of the devices being tested are simplified versions of those developed by American companies, researchers say.

However, “Research in this field is evolving very quickly in China,” said Zhengwu Liu, an electrical engineer at the University of Hong Kong.