Elon Musk’s brain implant company Neuralink is looking for a second human trial targeted to help test its devices, Musk confirmed this on X.
This request comes five months after Neuralink implemented a brain chip into its first human trial participant, Noland Arbaugh who’s 30 years old, and only a week after the company detected an unexpected malfunction in the device. Neuralink stated that the threads connecting the chip to Arbaugh’s brain have retracted causing performance issues, but the company has implemented improvements to improve the efficiency of their device.
Nonetheless, Arbaugh claims that the device, which allows him to operate a computer cursor with his brain, has transformed his life. Arbaugh has been partially paralyzed since 2016, following a diving incident.
“I didn’t have anything to wake up for in the morning, and this has transformed things for me,” Arbaugh told Good Morning America in an interview broadcast on Friday. “I was grateful that I would be a part of something so important and big. This is the next step forward in helping those persons who are struggling with paralysis.”
Neuralink wants more participants
American neurotechnology company Neuralink Corp. is now seeking more individuals like Arbogh to test its brain chip. The company stated on X: “If you have quadriplegia and you want to find new ways to control your computer, we invite you to participate in our clinical test.”
Finally, the neuralink’s goal is to utilize an implant to connect the human brain to a computer, allowing paraplegic individuals to manage cellphones or computers or giving blind people back their eyesight. Like the present brain-machine interface, the company’s implant will gather electrical impulses from the brain and interpret them as actions.
Current test participants will take part in Neuralink’s prime research, which is a short version of a precise robotically implanted brain-computer interface. In the 2023 blog post, the company stated that it intends to investigate the safety of its implant and surgical robots, as well as evaluate the device’s performance.
According to the company, it is inviting test participants who have no restricted or complete capacity to use their hands as a result of the damage or amyotrophic Letteral Sclerosis.
Chips are surgically implanted in the area of the tested individuals’ brain that regulates their desire to move and dip. The chip then collects brain signals and transmits an app, the primary purpose of which is to allow individuals to control a computer mouse or keyboard solely through their thoughts,” Neuralink has stated.
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Arbogh controls the computer mouse with his brain
Musk stated approximately one month after the procedure Arbogh could control the computer mouse with its brain. Neuralink later produced a video in which Arbogh is shown playing computer chess with only his mind.
However, when an unexpected error occurred in his devices, affecting his data processing speed and functionality, Arabs told Good Morning America that he cried thereafter.
He added, “It was difficult to leave all the wonderful things I was able to do.”
However, Neuralink claims that this difficulty was part of its learning process.
DJ SEO, Neuralink’s co-founder with Musk, told Good Morning the US company would do clinical and first viability testing to identify such difficulties as soon as possible before they enter the market. We rolled up our sleeves and developed many strategies to recapture our performance in front of Noland, which we were able to achieve successfully.
Consumers will not have more access to technology in the years to come. Neuralink’s brain implant will require lengthy regulatory approval before it can be released onto the market.
