PC-controlling brain implants are here and 'the reality is that people need this technology'
Remember those brain-to-computer devices that Gabe Newell, billionaire owner of Valve, was banging on about(opens in new tab)? He said they'd be great for making immersive games and coined the phrase «meat peripherals» for human limbs. Hard to forget. Well, just last month such a device was actually implanted (installed?) into a person's brain, but instead of being used for bigger-than-life gaming it's to better access to technology for those that need it.
This first brain-computer interface (BCI) comes from a company called Synchron, and it's an endovascular device which means it doesn't require invasive brain surgery to be implanted. The point of this device is to enable patients with severe paralysis to control digital devices hands-free. Literally moving a mouse cursor with thoughts alone.
“The first-in-human implant of an endovascular BCI in the U.S. is a major clinical milestone that opens up new possibilities for patients with paralysis,” Tom Oxley, founder of Synchron, says. “Our technology is for the millions of people who have lost the ability to use their hands to control digital devices."
Wired(opens in new tab) spoke to Oxley about their company's aims with the device, and it comes down to how limited someone's access to modern computing technology, which is so critical for most peoples' day-to-day lives, is without average motor function.
"...to use them, you need to use your fingers."
The device, once installed, would then allow someone to interact with a PC, for example, and that could make a big difference to their level of independence. But the big step for BCIs according to Synchron isn't so much the device, but how easy the procedure is to install the device, one which most neurosurgeons will be
Read more on pcgamer.com
