closed-loop BCI

A closed-loop brain–computer interface doesn't just read the brain and stop there — it feeds the result back in real time. The feedback can go to the user, who watches a cursor move and adjusts, or it can go straight into the brain as stimulation. Either way, brain and machine form a loop and keep adapting to each other.

Think of riding a bicycle. You don't steer once and hope; you constantly see where you're drifting and correct, moment by moment. A closed-loop BCI works the same way: every action produces a visible or felt consequence, and that consequence shapes the next action.

The opposite is open-loop, where the system reads brain activity and acts but gives nothing back — the user is steering blind. Closing the loop is what makes control feel responsive and lets the user and the decoder learn together over time.