Neuralink is a start-up which counts figures such as Elon Musk among its investors. One year ago, it presented its vision of a brain implant intended to recognise neuronic activity and make it possible to control computers through thought, so to speak. An update to the brain–computer interface (BCI) and a surgery robot for inserting the implants have now also been presented. The transmission unit and the surgery robot, which is needed to precisely insert the “pill” and extremely fine “nerve threads”, and the router needed to transmit the signals were developed in cooperation with Woke Studios, one of the leading technology companies for wearable devices.
The system is intended to make it possible for people with paralysis to control helpful technical devices. Some even dream of transferring human thoughts to the computer without a detour via the keyboard, mouse or speech commands. The artificial “nerve threads” are a fraction of the thickness of a human hair and must be implanted perfectly in order to receive thousands of simultaneous signals from the brain’s neurons, so the robot – which travels on five axes – is not allowed to move by even a fraction of a millimetre. The consequences could be catastrophic.
