Brain-machine interface company Neuralink, owned by Elon Musk, has opened a new video showing the progress of their technology. As previously reported, the technology is based on implanting microchips in users’ brains to allow them to control computers through thought. In the film published Thursday, a macaque plays various video games, such as Pong, using only his thoughts.
Monkey MindPong (Source: Neuralink)
The monkey, named Pager, had a Neuralink chip implanted six weeks ago and controlled the video game with an unconnected joystick that he had previously trained with in a live situation, revealing to the machine the various facets of thought processes.
Every movement of the joystick, after disconnection from the computer, was transmitted and interpreted by the implanted chips. Thus, the games ended up being controlled only by the primate’s thoughts.
In theory, the same technology can be used to allow humans to control prosthetic limbs or machines via neural link chips. Although the video is the first practical demonstration of Neuralink, the technology is considered by experts to be a technological advance, but not highly innovative. Primates have already played games via brain-machine interfaces in the past, and the special feature of the video shown above is mainly the wireless and compact design of the Neuralink, they say.
