Twitter owner Elon musk made an announcement on Wednesday that something new is coming, one of his companies is working on developing a brain implantable device that will enable direct brain-to-computer communication.
The interface, developed by Musk’s start-up Neuralink, will be based on your thoughts, and you will be able to communicate with the computer directly through your thoughts.
Neuralink is also creating implants that can be inserted into the spinal cord and possibly allow paralysed people to move again. Also included is an ocular implant designed to enhance or restore human vision.
Neuralink Corp. has not yet succeeded in implanting a computer into a human being’s brain, which was its main objective. However, in typical Elon Musk fashion, the company is already moving forward and aiming implants at other body parts.
In a Company presentation, Musk stated: “We’ve submitted I think most of our paperwork to the FDA (US Food and Drug Administration) and we think probably in about six months we should be able to have our first Neuralink in a human.”
“We’ve been working hard to be ready for our first human (implant), and obviously we want to be extremely careful and certain that it will work well before putting a device in a human,” He further added.
The purpose of a brain-computer interface, or BCI, is to initially enable thought-based communication in people with incapacitating conditions like amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) or stroke survivors.
Coin-sized Prototypes were implanted into Monkeys’ Skulls, During the Neuralink presentation, the company displayed several monkeys using their Neuralink implants to “play” simple video games or move a cursor on a screen.
Musk stated that the company would try to use the implants to help people regain their vision and mobility.
WATCH: Musk’s Neuralink Aims for Human Implant Approval in Six Months https://www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2022-12-01/musk-s-neuralink-aims-for-human-implant-approval-in-six-months
Academic institutions have been studying and developing brain-machine interface technology for many years. However, Musk’s entry into the market has sparked a wave of venture capitalist investment in startups and helped move the field forward at a much faster rate.
Even though it is still in its early stages, Neuralink is the only BCI company that performs all-purpose work. Other businesses have concentrated on the spinal cord, the eye, or the brain. Neuralink aspires to handle everything in the meantime.
