Apple is Developing Tech So Users Can Control Devices With Only Their Thoughts
An Anonymous Coward writes:
Apple is boldly embracing brain-computer interface (BCI) technology to enable users to control its devices using only their thoughts-a novel frontier for the company.
Earlier this week, it was announced that the tech giant is working with Synchron, a company that has been pioneering BCI research and work for more than a decade. The company was founded by Dr. Tom Oxley, a neurointerventionalist and technologist. Synchron has developed a stent-like implant that can be inserted using a (relatively) minimally invasive procedure on an individual's motor cortex. The stent was reportedly granted FDA clearance for human trials in 2021, and works to detect brain signals and translate them into software-enabled relays; in the case of an Apple device, the relays can select icons on a iPhone or iPad.
The video below shows a user's experience with Synchron's BCI in conjunction with the Apple Vision headset.
(see site for video)
Apple is working to establish the standards for BCI devices and protocolize what their use could look like across its device landscape. The company is expected to open up the technology and protocols to third-party developers in short order.
Among the primary goals of BCI technology is to enable the millions of individuals worldwide that may have limited physical functions to use devices. For example, the World Health Organization reports that globally, over 15 million people are living with spinal cord injuries. Many of these individuals may experience some type of loss of physical or sensory functions over the course of their lifetimes.
This is where BCIs can truly make a difference-enabling individuals to control electronic devices purely with their thoughts. In fact, reports indicate that the BCI industry is expected to grow at a CAGR of 9.35% from 2025 to 2030 and has huge potential to become a trillion dollar market within the next decade.
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