AxonOS is a hard real-time neural operating system for brain-computer interfaces. Open-source kernel in #![no_std] Rust. Sub-millisecond jitter on commodity ARM Cortex-M. Formally bounded worst-case response time. Structural privacy that the application layer cannot bypass.
Built for the patients who depend on closed-loop assistive interfaces, and for the engineers who refuse to ship them on best-effort scheduling.
Every BCI application today re-parses a bespoke binary wire format per device, re-implements capability gating, and re-writes integration boilerplate for every new hardware platform.
AxonOS does all three once, in safe no_std Rust, on top of a formally-bounded microkernel. One verifiable substrate. One typed API surface. Many hardware backends.
| Commitment | What it means in practice | |
|---|---|---|
| 🦀 | Hard real-time on commodity hardware | #![no_std] Rust on ARMv8-M. No GC, no allocator on the hot path, no unbounded panics. Memory safety is structural. |
| 📐 | Formally bounded WCRT | Every critical-path operation has a Kani-verified upper bound. Latency is proven, not benchmarked. |
| 🔒 | Structural privacy | Capabilities that would leak raw cognitive state (RawEEG, EmotionState, CognitiveProfile) do not exist as types. |
| 🌐 | Open ecosystem | Apache-2.0 OR MIT for code, CC-BY-SA-4.0 for specifications. Every repository is public. Anyone can audit, fork, or replace any layer. |
Sixty seconds from clone to your first intent observation.
git clone https://github.com/AxonOS-org/axonos-sdk
cd axonos-sdk
cargo test --features stduse axonos_sdk::{Capability, IntentStream, Manifest};
let manifest = Manifest::builder()
.app_id("com.example.cursor")?
.capability(Capability::Navigation)
.max_rate_hz(50)
.build()?;
let mut stream = IntentStream::connect(&manifest)?;
while let Some(obs) = stream.try_next()? {
println!("{:?} @ {} µs ({}%)",
obs.kind(),
obs.timestamp().as_micros(),
obs.confidence_percent());
}The SDK is the Rust reference binding. C FFI, Python, WebAssembly, JNI, and Swift bindings are on the published roadmap.
All six repositories are public. Source under Apache-2.0 OR MIT. Specifications under CC-BY-SA-4.0.
| Repository | Purpose | Language | Latest | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ⬢ | AxonOS-kernel | Hard real-time microkernel — 8 crates, formally bounded WCRT, 28 Kani harnesses | Rust | v0.2.1 |
| ⬢ | axonos-sdk | Application boundary — typed intents, capability manifests, kernel ABI v1 | Rust | v0.3.4 |
| ⬢ | axonos-consent | Protocol-level consent enforcement for cognitive mesh coupling (MMP) | Rust | v0.4.0 |
| ⬢ | axonos-swarm | Multi-node coordination — Neural PTP synchronisation, swarm scheduling | Rust | v0.2.0 |
| ⬢ | axonos-rfcs | Engineering specifications — 8 numbered RFCs, normative, CC-BY-SA-4.0 | Markdown | active |
| ⬢ | axon-bci-gateway | Hardware acquisition gateway (OpenBCI fork, MIT preserved from upstream) | HTML | active |
flowchart LR
A[EEG/EMG Sensors<br/>ADS1299 · 24-bit] -->|raw| B[BCI Gateway<br/>nRF52840]
B -->|filtered| C[AxonOS Kernel<br/>Rust no_std<br/>Cortex-M4F]
C -->|WCRT<br/>972µs| D[Cognitive<br/>Scheduler]
D -->|typed intent| E[Application<br/>via SDK]
F[Cognitive Hypervisor<br/>TrustZone-S] -.->|isolates| C
G[Consent Layer<br/>MMP protocol] -.->|gates| D
classDef kernel fill:#0e2a47,stroke:#3b82f6,color:#fff,stroke-width:2px
classDef secure fill:#0a3d2e,stroke:#10b981,color:#fff,stroke-width:2px
class C kernel
class F,G secure
|
Kernel WCRT, measured STM32F407 @ 168 MHz |
Worst-case jitter σ vs Linux 1323 µs |
Improvement factor over Linux mainline |
|
Kani BMC harnesses upper bounds proven |
Unit and integration tests across the workspace |
Long-form architecture articles on Medium |
| Phase | What | When |
|---|---|---|
| Phase 0 | Architecture, RFCs, SDK API surface, kernel verification harnesses | ✓ Complete |
| Phase 1 | Clinical-grade 8-channel development kit · ALS centre clinical pilot | 🟡 Q2 2026 |
| Phase 2 | FDA 510(k) Q-Sub for Cognitive Hypervisor · IEEE P2731 contribution | 🔵 Q3 2026 |
| Phase 3 | First commercial deployment via Foundation members | 🔵 2027 |
- Specifications — kernel ABI v1, capability catalogue,
IntentObservationwire format, RFC index - SDK and language bindings — Rust today; C FFI, Python, WebAssembly, JNI, Swift on the published roadmap
- Standards engagement — IEEE P2731 · IEC 62304 · ISO 13485 · FDA 510(k) · EU MDR
- Governance — current state, transition plan, trademark policy
- Long-form articles — 42+ pieces, one per major architectural decision
- Engineering memo — three-page summary for technical readers
| Path | Where |
|---|---|
| Bugs and feature requests | the relevant repository's Issues tab |
| Specification proposals | pull request to axonos-rfcs |
| Code contributions | axonos-sdk CONTRIBUTING.md |
| Security disclosures | security@axonos.org · 90-day coordinated disclosure |
| Clinical partnerships | connect@axonos.org |
| Press, speaking, general | info@axonos.org |
| Artifact | License |
|---|---|
| Kernel, SDK, consent, swarm, gateway | Apache-2.0 OR MIT |
| RFCs and specifications | CC-BY-SA-4.0 |
axon-bci-gateway |
MIT (preserved from upstream OpenBCI_GUI) |
Built and maintained by Denis Yermakou
denis@axonos.org · LinkedIn · Medium · Site
Singapore · Zurich · Berlin · Milano · San Mateo
Built with Rust. Verified with Kani. Aimed at hard real-time.
The kernel is how we earn the right to see real brain signals.