Neuralink showcases its first patient, Noland ArbaughControlling a computer cursor with thoughts marks a major advance in brain implant technology. Arbaugh, who became a quadriplegic following an accident eight years ago, demonstrated seamless cursor movement using only neural signals facilitated by a Neuralink implant.
The implant, called N1, consists of 1,024 electrodes distributed on 64 threads that penetrate the user’s brain. The coin-sized device is mounted by a surgical robot, communicates wirelessly with a smartphone app, and has a small battery that charges through the skin.
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Arbaugh claims to experience life-changing benefits including reading, language learning and gaming for up to 8 hours before needing to be recharged. While the video presentation painted promising results, experts cautioned against exaggerating the breakthrough, emphasizing the need for more comprehensive data from Neuralink to accurately assess its significance.
Neuralink faces competition from numerous academic and commercial entities exploring brain-computer interface technology. For example, Stanford University successfully interpreted the brain signals of paralyzed people to generate readable text on a computer screen.
Despite the progress, commercialization of Neuralink technology is still far away, pending rigorous testing and certification – however, Elon Musk has expressed his intention to commercialize the technology and plans to launch a mobile phone called Telepathy products that enable users to control devices through brain implants.
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