Synchron, a neurotechnological company, has connected a brain implant to the Apple Vision Pro mixed reality headset. CNBC writes about this.
Thanks to this, patients with physical activity disabilities and the integrated brain-computer interface (BCI) can control the gadget with the power of thought.
Synchron is developing BCI for patients with paralysis so that they can control devices like a smartphone or computer with their thoughts. The company was the first in the USA to implant a neurointerface into the human brain.
Apple released the Vision Pro at the beginning of the year. The gadget can be controlled using eye movements, voice commands, or hand gestures. Synchron is working to make the device available to patients who are unable to speak or move their upper limbs.
Synchron CEO Thomas Oxley noted that Apple's ecosystem is the best in its class, so the company focused on Vision Pro. Then it is planned to connect the BCI to other headsets.
The first to test the new solution was a 64-year-old patient named Mark. He started using Vision Pro in April. According to him, managing the headset is not much different from using an iPhone, iPad and computer.
"For me, it's just another way to gain some independence," he said.
Mark can't raise his hands and draw, so he uses an Apple gadget to create works of art. He also likes to look at the constellations in the sky using a special application.
Previously, Synchron implemented generative AI from OpenAI into its BCI interface platform. Mark was the first to test the technology for communicating with a doctor.
Although Synchron is a pioneer in the field of integrating neural interfaces into the brain, the concept received widespread attention after the successes of Elon Musk's Neuralink.
Recall that in January, the billionaire's startup implanted the first brain chip into a human. He soon learned how to control the cursor with his mind.