Initial results show promising neuron spike detection,” Musk posted, but he and Neuralink did not provide further details. He did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.
Spikes are activity by neurons, which are cells that use electrical and chemical signals to send information around the brain and to the body. The study uses a robot to surgically place a brain-computer interface (BCI) implant in a region of the brain that controls the intention to move, Neuralink said previously.The implants’ “ultra-fine” threads help transmit signals in participants’ brains, Neuralink has said.
In Nov 2022, Musk predicted that the company would begin tests in humans within six months. At the time, Neuralink demonstrated a product in a video that reportedly showed two monkeys moving computer cursors with their brains, a feat that had been shown to be possible in humans more than 15 years earlier.
While Musk is often optimistic with predictions for his companies, some of which have yet to pan out, Neuralink received approval from the FDA to begin human trials last May. In Sept, Neuralink said it received approval for recruitment for the human trial. The company’s website currently says its “first clinical trial is open to recruitment” for people with limited or no use of both hands due to a cervical spinal cord injury or to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a neurological disorder that affects nerve cells.
“This study involves placing a small, cosmetically invisible implant in a part of the brain that plans movements,” Neuralink’s website reads. “The device is designed to interpret a person’s neural activity, so they can operate a computer or smartphone by simply intending to move – no wires or physical movement are required.”
At the Neuralink presentation in late 2022, Musk said the company’s devices would eventually allow blind people to see or give someone with a severed spinal cord “full-body functionality”. His claims at the time drew scepticism.
The company has faced calls for scrutiny regarding its safety protocols. Reuters reported earlier this month that the firm was fined for violating US department of transportation rules regarding the movement of hazardous materials. The company was valued at about $5bn last June, but four lawmakers in late Nov asked the US Securities and Exchange Commission to investigate whether Musk had misled investors about the safety of its technology after veterinary records showed problems with the implants on monkeys included paralysis, seizures and brain swelling. Musk wrote in a social media post on Sept 10 that “no monkey has died as a result of a Neuralink implant”.
Spikes are activity by neurons, which are cells that use electrical and chemical signals to send information around the brain and to the body. The study uses a robot to surgically place a brain-computer interface (BCI) implant in a region of the brain that controls the intention to move, Neuralink said previously.The implants’ “ultra-fine” threads help transmit signals in participants’ brains, Neuralink has said.
In Nov 2022, Musk predicted that the company would begin tests in humans within six months. At the time, Neuralink demonstrated a product in a video that reportedly showed two monkeys moving computer cursors with their brains, a feat that had been shown to be possible in humans more than 15 years earlier.
While Musk is often optimistic with predictions for his companies, some of which have yet to pan out, Neuralink received approval from the FDA to begin human trials last May. In Sept, Neuralink said it received approval for recruitment for the human trial. The company’s website currently says its “first clinical trial is open to recruitment” for people with limited or no use of both hands due to a cervical spinal cord injury or to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a neurological disorder that affects nerve cells.
“This study involves placing a small, cosmetically invisible implant in a part of the brain that plans movements,” Neuralink’s website reads. “The device is designed to interpret a person’s neural activity, so they can operate a computer or smartphone by simply intending to move – no wires or physical movement are required.”
At the Neuralink presentation in late 2022, Musk said the company’s devices would eventually allow blind people to see or give someone with a severed spinal cord “full-body functionality”. His claims at the time drew scepticism.
The company has faced calls for scrutiny regarding its safety protocols. Reuters reported earlier this month that the firm was fined for violating US department of transportation rules regarding the movement of hazardous materials. The company was valued at about $5bn last June, but four lawmakers in late Nov asked the US Securities and Exchange Commission to investigate whether Musk had misled investors about the safety of its technology after veterinary records showed problems with the implants on monkeys included paralysis, seizures and brain swelling. Musk wrote in a social media post on Sept 10 that “no monkey has died as a result of a Neuralink implant”.