Patients who are paralyzed may now operate a computer and also play video games thanks to a Neuralink chip that has been placed in their brains.
Elon Musk’s Neuralink, a company that makes next-generation implants, has announced that it is starting to test technology that will allow paralyzed people to control a robotic arm “with the power of thought,” Digital Trends reports.
The project, codenamed Convoy, is currently in the early stages of research, although it is already undergoing initial human trials.
The Neuralink neurochip has been implanted in brains of atlmost twwo individuals. It allows patients to control a computer and even play games with their minds. The first patient received the chip in January of this year, continues to use it, and even wants to get an “upgrade” to control robots.
And with Convoy, they will also be able to interact with the outside world – with the help of a robotic hand, it is possible to partially restore a person’s lost ability to interact physically.
Neuralink says the research is an important first step toward restoring not just digital freedom, but physical freedom as well.
In the future, Musk plans to implant a brain chip in himself: in the long term, it will allow not only to control electronics, but also to restore mobility to limbs, fight depression, restore vision, and even make the brain work more efficiently.
Additionally, Tesla may deliver its humanoid Optimus robots as soon as 2025.According to the plan, it will replace most of the routine human work.