Neuralink’s New Technology Could Help Paralyzed Individuals Perform Simple Daily Tasks Independently
On November 26, Neuralink, Elon Musk’s neurotechnology company, announced that they are researching and preparing to test their implant technology for a new purpose: enabling users to control a robotic arm with their thoughts.
“We are excited to announce the approval and implementation of a new feasibility trial aimed at expanding the control capabilities of BCI with the N1 implant for a supportive robotic arm,” Neuralink posted on social media platform X. Currently, there are no further details available about the new research on Neuralink’s website.
Neuralink’s new technology may allow users to control a robotic arm using only their thoughts. (Photo: Viorel Kurnosov).
BCI, or Brain-Computer Interface, is a system that enables users to directly control external devices through brain waves. The system reads and decodes intentional movement signals from neurons. Neuralink’s BCI consists of a small coin-sized device called N1, which is implanted into the brain by a surgical robot. The company is evaluating the safety of the BCI as well as its potential to help paralyzed individuals operate computers.
Controlling computers or prosthetic arms is not a new achievement for BCI systems. In 2008, a team of experts led by Andrew Schwartz at the University of Pittsburgh demonstrated that monkeys could control robotic arms to assist with feeding using brain signals. Later, they transitioned to trials involving human volunteers. In a study published in the journal Nature in 2012, two individuals paralyzed by strokes were able to control a robotic arm to touch and grasp objects using only their thoughts. One individual even managed to pour himself a cup of coffee for the first time in 14 years. In another study in 2016, a man using a BCI regained his sense of touch with a robotic arm.
The BCIs in these studies were bulky systems requiring wires to connect the user’s head to a computer that decodes brain signals. However, Neuralink’s system is wireless.
Earlier this year, Neuralink demonstrated that its BCI could help control a computer cursor. In a video on X, research participant Noland Arbaugh used the Neuralink device to play chess and other games on a computer.
Arbaugh became quadriplegic after a swimming accident in 2016. He underwent brain surgery in January to have the Neuralink device implanted, but a few weeks later, it began to malfunction. The implant consists of 64 thin, flexible cables that penetrate brain tissue. Each cable contains 16 electrodes that help collect neural signals. In May, Neuralink reported that some cables had retracted from the brain, temporarily causing Arbaugh to lose the ability to control the computer cursor. Neuralink subsequently restored Arbaugh’s control by modifying the brain recording algorithm to be more sensitive and changing how it decodes neural signals into cursor movement.
The second participant in Neuralink’s trial, Alex, had the implant placed in July. Neuralink has taken steps to reduce the likelihood of cable retraction, including minimizing brain movement during surgery and decreasing the distance between the implant and the brain surface.
“Congratulations to Neuralink for receiving approval for their feasibility trial. Every step forward in neurotechnology brings us closer to empowering those with neurological disorders,” said Marcus Gerhardt, CEO and co-founder of Blackrock Neurotech.
The biggest challenge in controlling a robotic arm with BCI is calibration, according to Brian Dekleva, a research scientist at the Rehabilitation Engineering Lab at the University of Pittsburgh. “The more complex the control, the more degrees of freedom there are, and the calibration process takes longer. People won’t want to sit and calibrate for half an hour every day just to use their device,” he noted. If this limitation can be addressed, the new technology could enable paralyzed individuals to perform simple daily tasks without assistance.
