Apple has partnered with neurotechnology company Synchron to develop products including iPhones and iPads that will be controlled using brain implants.
Designed to allow users with physical disabilities to operate their devices just by thinking, the software would allow Apple devices to be controlled by Synchron‘s stent-like implant placed on top of the brain’s motor cortex.
Called Stentrode, the implant works by detecting motor signals from the user’s brain before transmitting them to an external wireless processor, which converts the signals into commands for electronic devices.
This would allow people living with physical disabilities to control their smartphones or tablets with their thoughts rather than their hands, potentially revolutionising everyday technology for those with immobilising spinal cord injuries or conditions such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
Stentrode would work in tandem with Apple’s existing assistive switch control technology, which allows users with limited mobility to create hands-free “switches” on their iPhone to command action, including performing a head movement or making a voiceless sound.
According to Synchron, Stentrode is a minimally invasive and scalable brain-computer interface (BCI) because its implementation requires no open brain surgery.
“With BCI recognised as a native input for Apple devices, there are new possibilities for people living with paralysis and beyond,” said Synchron co-founder Tom Oxley.
“Apple is helping to pioneer a new interface paradigm, where brain signals are formally recognised alongside touch, voice and typing,” he added.
Controlled rollouts on trial participants using Apple’s iPhones, iPads and Apple Vision Pro mixed-reality headsets are expected to begin later this year.
The American tech giant recently announced that it has filed a patent for a future version of the Apple Watch, which could feature a foldable two-screen display to rival the functionality of a smartphone.
The images are courtesy of Synchron.
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