The Moonshot Goal 1 Kanai Project “Internet of Brains” (IoB) under the Moonshot Research & Development Program will commence joint research and development on next-generation Brain-Machine Interface (BMI) technology with Dubai Future Labs (DFL), an initiative of Dubai Future Foundation (DFF). This technology allows individuals to freely control robots and avatars using their own brainwaves (electrical signals from the brain) and electromyography (electrical signals from muscles).
IoB has entered into a joint research partnership with Dubai Future Foundation (DFF), uniting the MultiSense Foundation Team led by Mr. Kan Akutsu (Araya Inc.), Principal Investigator of the IoB Development of Fundamental Technologies Group, with the Dubai Future Lab. The aim of this joint research is to develop groundbreaking BMI technology that allows users to intuitively control cybernetic avatars (technology that expands options for physical forms such as robots and digital avatars) using bio-signals generated from their own bodies, including brainwaves, electromyography, and eye movements.
This joint project seeks to offer society new options for human-technology interfaces, in addition to traditional physical controllers like joysticks and keyboards. To achieve this, it will identify the most effective combinations of neural and muscle signals for operating robots, computers, and digital avatars in diverse societal scenarios.
This project involves organizations participating in IoB, such as Araya Inc. and Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International (ATR), which are at the forefront of BMI research and development, tackling both advanced R&D and social implementation. Prototype development and demonstration experiments for this technology are conducted at Dubai Future Labs (DFL) from January to November 2025.
As part of our joint research, both parties have already conducted site visits to their counterpart countries, Japan and Dubai. During the Dubai site visit on June 24, researchers from the IoB Development of Fundamental Technologies Group MultiSense Foundation Team, alongside Dr. Ryota Kanai, showcased robot operation using a multi-platform avatar operation base, currently under development, which supports various control methods, including brain waves.
Our strategic partnership with Dubai Future Labs aims to significantly expedite the social implementation of our state-of-the-art technologies. With robust support from the Dubai government, Dubai Future Labs is recognized as one of the world’s most prominent institutions for demonstrating and socially implementing future technologies, leveraging the entire city as a “living lab.”
Dubai’s diverse environment, where people of over 200 nationalities coexist, provides an unparalleled ideal test field for verifying whether our technologies will be globally accepted. Through this partnership, we aim to not only develop technology but also to verify its acceptance in diverse cultures and societies, and to deploy truly valuable research results to the world.
<b>Comment from Dr. Ryota Kanai, Project Manager, Moonshot Goal 1 Kanai Project</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> </span>
This joint research with Dubai Future Labs is a crucial initiative for bringing Japan’s neurotechnology to the international stage. Through this project, we aim to realize a future where humans and technology are more deeply integrated. Furthermore, leveraging this collaboration with DFL, we will continue to work with partners worldwide to promote the international standardization and global co-creation of BMI (Brain-Machine Interface) technology, striving for technological innovations that expand human potential. Technology that allows for the free control of robots and digital avatars using biological signals like brainwaves can unlock new possibilities beyond human physical and spatial limitations. By conducting this demonstration in the advanced environment of Dubai, we hope to globally advance our vision of the “Internet of Brains” and further accelerate the societal implementation of BMI technology.
<b>Comment from Khalifa Al Qama, Executive Director of Dubai Future Labs</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> </span>
“This partnership represents a new frontier in human-machine collaboration. By combining neural and muscular inputs, we’re building intuitive, accessible technologies that could transform how people with limited mobility interact with the world — and how all of us engage with future systems in healthcare, gaming, and much more. It’s a major leap toward making Dubai a global hub for neural interface innovation.”
He added: “Dubai, alongside its global partners, is redefining how humans interact with machines. These breakthroughs are critical to integrating frontier technologies into public services in a way that boosts economies and raises quality of life for all.”
<b>Making Future Interfaces More Human</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> </span>
This collaboration aims to identify the most effective combinations of bio-signals for controlling avatars as extensions of the human body in real-world environments, pushing the boundaries of interactive robotics and digital systems. The results will also strongly support academic research, patents, and publications in the BMI field.
This project will serve as a foundation for IoB’s global expansion, leveraging its research and development in neurotechnology and its application in cybernetic avatar technology for societal implementation. By co-creating with Dubai, the project is expected to not only advance technology but also propose international standards, create further opportunities for collaboration, and become the forefront of future human-technology interaction research.