Technological billionaire Elon Musk says his company Neuralink has successfully implanted one of her wave brain chips to a man for the first time.
The initial results revealed promising rivets of neurons or nerve impulses and the patient is recovering well, he said.
The company’s goal is to connect the human brain with computers and says it wants to help treat complex neurological conditions.
A number of rival companies have already implanted similar devices.
Musk’s company was given permission to test the chip on people from the FDA in May, a historic moment after previous attempts to gain approval.
This gave the green light for the start of the six-year study during which a robot is being used to surgically place 64 flexible threads, thinner than a human hair, in a part of the brain that controls “ the volume of the movement”, according to Neuroalink
The company says these threads allow its experimental implant – powered by a – wave-loaded battery to record and transmit wave brain signals to an application decoding how the person intends to move.
Musk said Neuralink’s first product would be called Telepathy .
Telepathy, he said, would enable “ control of your phone or computer, and through them almost every device, just thinking about”.
“ Initial users will be the ones who have lost the use of their limbs”, he continued.
Referring to the late British scientist, who had motor neurons disease, he added:
“Imagine as if Stephen Hawking could communicate faster than an auction dactilographer or manager. This is the goal.”
As Musk’s involvement increases Neuralink’s profile, he faces rivals, some of whom have a story dating back two decades ago. Utah-based Blackrock Neurootech implanted the first of many brain-computer interfaces in 2004.
Precision Neuroscience, formed by a co-founder of Neuroalink, also aims to help people with paralysis. And his implant resembles a very thin piece of strip that stands on the surface of the brain and can be implanted through a “micro-cranial swearing”, which is said to be a much simpler procedure.
Existing devices have also generated results. In two separate recent scientific studies in the US, implants were used to monitor brain activity when a person tried to speak, which could then be decoded to help them communicate
