- Neuralink is developing brain-computer interface technology that aims to enable people with disabilities to control computers, smartphones, robotic arms and wheelchairs just by thinking.
- Although Neuralink has received approval from the authorities to conduct clinical trials on human subjects, the technology is still in development and has many challenges to overcome, such as the long-term stability of the implant in the brain and the scalability to be used in a large number of patients.
- Neuralink, the company founded by Elon Musk, first implanted the chip in the brain of Noland Arbaugh, a quadriplegic.
The Neuralink chip encountered its first problems after being implanted in humans, according to an announcement made by Elon Musk’s company, writes CBS News.
Some of the device’s electrode wires began pulling out of quadriplegic Noland Arbaugh’s brain tissue about a month after it was surgically implanted in late January. This incident led to a reduction in the amount of data transmitted, Neuralink wrote in a blog post on Wednesday.
The Wall Street Journal first reported on the defect causing a reduction in bits per second, a measure of the speed and accuracy of a patient’s ability to control a computer cursor by thought.
Neuralink compensated for the glitch through several software updates, resulting in a “rapid and sustained improvement in BPS that has now surpassed Noland’s original performance,” the company said.
The company is now focusing on improving the device’s text input and cursor control, which it hopes to expand to include robotic arms and wheelchairs in the future.
Neuralink announced in September that it had received approval from US regulators to recruit people for the study as part of an effort to use the technology to help people with traumatic injuries operate computers just by thinking.
The Food and Drug Administration has approved testing of the Neuralink chip, but it has not yet received regulatory approval for widespread or commercial use.
Read also
