Neuralink, a company specialized in the development of brain-computer interfaces, hopes to cure blindness through the implantation of a brain chip. This was confirmed by Elon Musk, founder and current owner of this American company, who stated that the device was called ‘Blindsight’which has already been shown to be able to restore vision to monkeys in preliminary tests.
Let us remember that Neuralink made the news after achieving the successful implantation of Telepathy, a chip that allowed a quadriplegic patient control a computer cursor using only your mind.
Musk suggested that, initially, the quality of vision offered by Blindsight could be similar to video games from Nintendo’s early daysbut it is expected to improve significantly over time.
The magnate also stated that during the tests with monkeys The implanted chips did not cause harm or death to the animalswhile underlining Neuralink’s commitment to security.
In fact, the company seeks to dispel any prior concern about animal welfare involved in the early phases of technology research.
The FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) gave the green light to Neuralink’s first clinical trial in May of last yearallowing the insertion of flexible microwires into the brain to record and transmit neural signals.
This advance has generated great expectations, however, experts emphasize that there are still unresolved questionssuch as the specific details of how Blindsight works and whether its successful application in humans will be possible.
Previous research has sought to improve the resolution of similar devices to facilitate face recognition, among other visual functions. AND Musk’s proposal has sparked both interest and skepticismgiven the businessman’s history of making ambitious statements
Neuralink is a neurotechnology company which was founded by Elon Musk in 2016which is focused on developing brain-computer interfaces (BCI) with the aim of facilitating direct communication between the human brain and machines.
The ultimate goal of the company is to eventually treat neurological diseases through precise brain stimulation. And in this matter he has made some significant progress:
- Development of flexible electrodes and surgical robot: Neuralink has developed extremely thin and flexible filaments that can be implanted in the brain. To insert these filaments precisely without damaging the brain, the company has created an advanced surgical robot.
- Human testing: The company carried out the first implantation of a brain chip in humans, after achieving a successful procedure in Noland Arbaugh, who was able to control a computer cursor using only his thoughts. The 29-year-old man, who lost his muscle functions after an accident, described the process as “using force on the cursor” in reference to the movie Star Wars, highlighting that he had to train himself to achieve the desired precision in the movement of the pointer to then even be able to enjoy the video game Civilization VI.
- Advances towards medical applications: Although initial demonstrations of Neuralink have focused on interaction with electronic devices, the company has a long-term goal of using its technology to treat neurological diseases and disorders such as Parkinson’s, epilepsy, and paralysis.
For now, the possibility of developing a chip capable of restoring or even surpassing normal human vision could be a game changer not only for blind people, but also for medical science in general, despite all the technical and ethical challenges that the project faces.
