Specializing in neurotechnologies, the American startup Neuralink has already made a name for itself by implanting a chip in a patient's brain, enabling them to interact with a computer by thought alone. The next step will be to see if this can be used to control an articulated arm. A fresh call for (human) guinea pigs has been launched.
Neuralink's next project seeks to enable patients to control a robotic arm simply by the power of their thoughts. This innovation follows on from the company's early successes with its pioneer patient, Noland Arbaugh, a quadriplegic man who was able to play computer chess with the power of his mind thanks to the implant in his brain.
Neuralink is therefore launching a new feasibility trial, aimed at extending control of the brain-computer interface using the N1 implant to an experimental assistive robotic arm. If successful, this technology could revolutionize autonomy for people living with paralysis.
Registration is open to US, Canadian and British citizens of legal age who suffer from quadriplegia, paraplegia, visual impairment or blindness, speech impairment or inability/difficulty to speak, hearing impairment or deafness, and/or major limb amputation. Victims of cervical spinal cord injury or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) are also eligible.
Neuralink's ultimate goal is to enable disabled people to control various devices by thought alone. In the longer term, this technology could also help treat Parkinson's disease or epilepsy. – AFP Relaxnews
