Robotic arm
Late last year, Neuralink opened a complementary study through which he says some of his existing implant volunteers will be able to try using their brain activity to control not only a computer mouse, but also other types of external devices, including an “assistive robotic arm.”
We haven’t yet seen what Neuralink’s robotic arm looks like, whether it’s a tabletop search device or something that could be attached to a wheelchair and used at home to perform daily tasks.
But it is clear that such a device could be useful. During Aurbaugh’s livestream, he frequently asked other people to do simple things for him, like brush his hair or put on his hat.
@MODDEDQUAD VIA
And using brains to control robots is entirely possible, although so far it’s only possible in a controlled research setting. In tests using another brain implant, carried out at the University of Pittsburgh in 2012, a paralyzed woman named Jan Scheuermann was able to use a robotic arm to stack blocks and plastic cups as well as a person who had had a severe stroke – impressive, since she couldn’t actually move her own limbs.
There are several practical obstacles to using a robotic arm at home. One of them is developing a safe and useful robot. Another, as pointed out Wiredis that the calibration steps to maintain control of an arm capable of performing 3D movements and grasping objects could be expensive and time-consuming.
Visual implant
In September, Neuralink said it received “breakthrough device” designation from the FDA for a version of its implant that could be used to restore limited vision in blind people. The system, called Blindsight, would work by sending electrical pulses directly into a volunteer’s visual cortex, producing points of light called phosphenes. If there are enough spots, they can be organized into a simple, pixelated vision shape, as university researchers have already demonstrated.
FDA designation is not the same as approval to start the vision study. Instead, it is a promise from the agency to expedite review stages, including agreements on what a trial should look like. At present, it’s impossible to guess when a Neuralink vision trial might begin, but it won’t necessarily be this year.
More money
Neuralink last raised money in 2023, collecting about $325 million from investors in a funding round that valued the company at more than $3 billion, according to Pitchbook. Ryan Tanaka, who publishes a podcast about the company, Pod Neurasays he thinks Neuralink will raise more money this year and that the private company’s valuation could double.