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Brain Tech Evidence Book Released - A handbook for consumers and businesses that summarizes the scientific evidence on brain tech.
The " Freeing the Body from Constraints by Expanding Physical and Perceptual Capabilities" (Project Manager: Ryota Kanai, Representative Organization: Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International (ATR), hereinafter referred to as "Moonshot Kanai Project"), an R&D project under Moonshot Goal 1 of the Moonshot-type R&D project led by the Cabinet Office, Japan. Shot Kanai Project) has released the " Brain Tech Evidence Book ver1.0," which summarizes the scientific basis for brain tech (neurotechnology), a technology that utilizes a fusion of brain science findings and technology. This evidence book summarizes the effectiveness and safety of Brain-Tech, which has been verified based on the scientific method of systematic review. In conjunction with the release of ver1.0, we are also soliciting public comments for the development of this book. We invite you to review this document and send us your comments, opinions, and criticisms.
Project Manager's Comment
The Moonshot Kanai Project is committed to "Building Trust in Braintech," and we believe it is important to create a world where the general public can use brain tech with peace of mind. The Brain Tech Guidebook ver. 1.0, released last fiscal year, introduced knowledge about brain tech and how to properly deal with such technology. In this evidence book, we have investigated the effects and benefits often advocated in actual brain tech products and summarized their scientific basis in concrete terms. This book is intended to serve as a resource for more effective and safer use of brain tech, as well as for researchers and businesses developing products and expanding their businesses. We hope that you will read this guidebook and send us your comments, opinions, and criticisms.
As with the guidebook, we plan to publish an English version of the evidence book in the future. We believe that the role of the Moonshot Kanai Project is not only to compile the results of the systematic review conducted in the process of preparing this book into an English-language academic paper for publication, but also to disseminate the information necessary for "Building Trust in Braintech" from Japan to the world. We believe that the role of the Moonshot Kanai Project is not only to publish but also to disseminate to the world from Japan the information necessary for "Building Trust in Braintech. As an example of our international expansion, project manager Kanai will be speaking at the " International Conference on the Ethics of Neurotechnology" to be held at UNESCO headquarters on July 13, 2023. We look forward to your continued support of the Moonshot Kanai project.
The market for "brain tech (neurotechnology)," which utilizes the fusion of brain science findings and technology, is expected to expand globally in the future. In particular, the market for direct-to-consumer (DTC) products, which can be purchased directly by consumers, is expanding rapidly, especially in Europe and the United States. Brochures for these products make attractive claims such as "improves athletic performance," "improves memory," and "visualizes emotions. But can such effects really be expected? Is there any danger in ordinary consumers using such products on their own?
In order to answer these questions, the Moonshot Kanai Project created and published a " Guidebook ver. 1.0 " last year, which describes the correct knowledge currently available on brain technology and how to deal with such technology. The " Evidence Book ver. 1.0," which is now available to the public, summarizes more specific evidence on efficacy and safety based on the results of systematic reviews. Some of the systematic reviews are still underway, and the results will be released as soon as the studies are completed. In addition, public comments will be solicited in conjunction with the release of ver 1.0 in order to expand and revise the evidence book to reflect the input of our readers. We hope you will take a look at this document and send us your comments, opinions, criticisms, etc. using the input form below.
Evidence Book ver1.0 contains the following questions: "Does neurofeedback improve motor skills? Does neurofeedback improve sleep quality? Does neurofeedback improve attention? Does brainwave activity provide a measure of relaxation? and "Does neurofeedback improve sleep quality? The research was conducted by a team of researchers, graduate and undergraduate students with backgrounds in neuroscience, using the scientific method of systematic review. In addition, the evidence book includes an appendix that explains the basics. This provides information necessary for further reading of the Evidence Book, which is considered insufficient for the contents of the Guidebook ver. 1. Please note that brain-tech products intended for medical purposes are not covered in this guidebook.
Public comments are accepted at the following URL. Please fill out the form below.
https://forms.gle/6Z9QMzQ27zPFTx7V7
➡Brain Tech Evidence Book can be viewed here.
Monday, July 10, 2023 to Sunday, August 6, 2023
The public comments will be accepted until 11:59 p.m. Japan time on August 6 (Sun.), 2023.
■Evidence Evaluation Committee
Mitsuaki Takemi (Specially Appointed Lecturer, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Keio University / Chair of the Evaluation Committee)
Kaoru Amano (Professor, Graduate School of Information Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo)
Aya Ihara (Senior Researcher, Brain Information and Communication Integration Research Center, Research Institute for Future ICT, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology)
Rieko Osu (Professor, Faculty of Human Sciences, Waseda University)
Junichiro Kawahara (Professor, Graduate School of Letters, Hokkaido University)
Tetsushi Kishi (Project Lecturer, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo)
Eiko Tamaki, RIKEN Brain Science Institute, RIKEN White Brow Research Team Leader
Nobuhiro Hagura (Senior Researcher, Brain Information and Communication Integration Research Center, Research Institute for Future ICT, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology)
Koichi Hosomi (Project Lecturer, Department of Neurosurgery, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine)
Maro Machizawa (Project Associate Professor, Research Center for Brain, Mind and Sensory Science, Hiroshima University)
Takushi Yanagisawa (Professor, Osaka University)
Natsue Yoshimura (Professor, School of Information Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology)
■Systematic Review Team
Ryoji Onekawa (Waseda University, School of Science and Engineering, JSPS Research Fellow PD / Team Leader)
Isabel Bandes (Doctoral Student, Department of Information and Communication Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology)
Seitaro Iwama (Assistant Professor, Department of Life Information, Faculty of Science and Technology, Keio University)
Naotsugu Kaneko (Assistant Professor, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo)
Kazuhiro Kimura (Special Postdoctoral Researcher, RIKEN Center for Frontier Biosciences)
D. student, Graduate School of Information Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo
Hideaki Kurashiki (Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Keio University) (Completed in March 2023)
Mutsumi Sasaki (JSPS Research Fellow PD, Graduate School of Engineering Science, Osaka University)
Kairi Sugimoto (Doctoral Student, Graduate School of Fundamental Science and Engineering, Waseda University)
Koki Takeuchi (Project Researcher, Graduate School of Education, The University of Tokyo)
Daiki Noyama (Doctoral Student, Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo)
Keito Muraoka (Master's Program, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Keio University) (Completed in March 2022)
Some team members are not yet disclosed. Some team members have not yet been disclosed. They will be disclosed sequentially as the results of the survey of the RQs in charge are made public.
Brain Tech Research and Development Proposals Related to the Creation of an Evidence Book
Assignment 4-1-1 "Study of Issues Common to All Projects and Research and Development for Social Implementation" (Proponent: Ryota Kanai)
Issue 4-1-2 "Development of Social Infrastructure for Trusted BMI" (Proposed by Mitsuaki Takemi)
About the Moonshot R&D Program
The "Moonshot-type R&D Program" led by the Cabinet Office promotes challenging research and development by setting ambitious goals that attract people (moonshot goals) for important social issues such as the super-aging society and global warming problems by the government.
➡For information on this project by the National Institute of Science and Technology Agency, click here.
■Outline of R&D Project "Freeing the Body from Constraints by Expanding Physical and Perceptual Capabilities
The ultimate cybernetic avatar (CA) that can be manipulated as desired if a person's intentions can be estimated Note 1) will become possible. For estimation, not only internal brain activity but also brain surface information and information on interactions with others are important clues. These are integrated with AI technology to create a brain-machine interface (BMI) Note 2) By 2050, we will realize the ultimate BMI-CA that can be operated as a person wishes.
➡Click here for the website of this project.
Note 1) Cybernetic Avatar (Registered trademark No. 6523764)
Cybernetic avatar refers to an avatar that shares senses with you and engages in social activities, like a teleoperated robot or a character in cyberspace.
(Note 2) Brain-machine interface (BMI)
This is a generic term for a technology (interface) that directly connects the brain (brain) and machine (machine) by using brain information.
＜For inquiries regarding this matter, please contact
For general inquiries regarding press coverage
Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International (ATR)
Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International (ATR)
TEL: 0774-95-1176
FAX: 0774-95-1178
Email: pr@atr.jp
Inquiries about R&D projects in general
Ryota Kanai
ARAYA Inc.CEO
E-mail: pmo@brains.link