Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and Pratiksha Trust launch Moonshot project on brain co-processors

Key facts

• Indian Institute of Science (IISc) launched a Moonshot project to develop brain co-processors combining neuromorphic hardware with AI algorithms to enhance or restore brain function.
• The initiative is funded by Pratiksha Trust, founded by Kris Gopalakrishnan and Sudha.
• The project aims to develop implantable and non-invasive brain co-processors that decode neural activity, process signals using AI, and re-encode them via neural stimulation or neurofeedback.
• Devices will support cognitive rehabilitation for stroke survivors who have lost goal-directed reach and grasp functions.
• The project builds on IISc’s Brain, Computation and Data Science programme involving over 20 faculty members.
• Phase 1 will develop and validate a non-invasive neural co-processor for sensorimotor feedback in stroke survivors.
• Phase 2 will focus on a minimally invasive embedded co-processor to restore sensorimotor coordination in chronic stroke patients.
• The team plans to indigenise implant design, hardware systems, and AI software stacks for low-resource clinical settings.
• The project will create India-specific databases of stereo EEG and ECoG recordings and develop open-source AI tools, datasets, and visualisation platforms as digital public goods.