Elon Musk has announced that the inaugural patient of his Neuralink venture is now capable of controlling a computer cursor solely through thought.
Recently, the visionary behind Tesla, X (formerly known as Twitter), and SpaceX shared updates on the patient's progress following the brain chip implantation, noting satisfactory recovery and the achievement of intended neural outcomes. "The patient is successfully navigating a cursor across a screen through mere thought," Musk revealed during a session on X Spaces, as reported by Reuters.
Further advancements are underway at Neuralink, aiming to enhance user interaction capabilities, including pressing and holding buttons and moving the cursor across various directions.
The groundbreaking trial received the green light from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in May of the previous year. The innovative procedure involves implanting 64 slender threads into a brain region associated with movement planning. Due to the delicate nature of these threads, their insertion is robot-assisted. These threads enable the chip to capture and relay brain activity to an application, which interprets the user's motion intentions.
This implant, which is rechargeable wirelessly, marks a significant step towards Musk's vision for Neuralink. He envisions the debut product, dubbed Telepathy, to offer users the power to manipulate their phones or computers—and, by extension, virtually any gadget—simply through thought. The initial beneficiaries of this technology will be individuals who have lost limb functionality.
Musk aspires to revolutionize communication speeds for people with disabilities, citing the potential for achieving faster communication rates than those of speedy typists or auctioneers. "Imagine the possibilities for someone like Stephen Hawking," Musk stated, underscoring the ambitious goals of Neuralink.
Expert with real world experience in MedTech StartUps. And F'in good at it. Oh and I know a bit about surgical robotics I’ve been told.
2moIt’s an early device - FIH - oh course will have issues - totally normal - especially for a super complex device like this -