Neurable
Noland Arbaugh, a patient who received the Neuralink implant
Noland’s life has changed thanks to a small device installed on his brain. Commands a computer now helps you in many various tasks.
“If something terrible happened, I knew they would learn from it.” This was the spirit of Noland Arbaugh, a 30-year-old American who has been living 8 years ago after a diving accident. It was the first man to receive an implant from the Neuralk chip that changed his life.
Elon Musk’s company followed the example of other startups that also develop technologies of this type and created a Brain-Computer Interface (ICC). The chip implemented through surgery in Noland is connected to a computer.
By capturing small electrical impulses that are generated in the brain when we think of moving, The computer obeys: It realizes our thinking.
Noland says, however, that Neuralink is more than its owner and claims that it does not consider it “an Elon Musk device.” In fact, the owner of the company was the one who gave him the most mediatism, because there are other companies with similar projects.
This is the case of Synchron, whose stentrode device ensures that it is easier to install, with less invasive surgery. Technology “detects when someone is thinking of beating or not hitting their finger,” says technology director Riki Bannerjee. “When being able to capture these differences, it can create what we call a Digital motor output. ”
Now, Noland is able to move a cursor on the computer, just thinking about moving it. This allows you to do what you like again: play video games, for example. “I won my friends again in the games, which should not be possible, but it is. ” Plays chess, interact with people and even You can go on vacation – Virtually. All thanks to the use of the device with Vision Pro from Apple Vision Pro.
A problem to overcome is the issue of privacy. “If we are exporting our cerebralet activity we allow access not only to what we do, but also what we think, what we believe, and what we feel,” explains neuroscientist Anil Seth. “When you have access to things inside our head, there is no more barrier to privacy.”
There was also already once a device problem cut contact with the computer. “It was very disturbing to say the least,” says Noland. But after a repair, everything was restored.
However, both the company and the individual in whom the device is being tested believe that in the future this technology can allow Even more possibilities.
“We know so little about the brain and this is allowing us to learn much more,” concludes Noland.
