Nothing seems to stop the visionary Elon Musk, boss of Tesla and SpaceX, who plans, with his company Neuralink, the implantation of chips in the brains of humans from 2022. Initially, these brain implants will be intended for people disabled to enable them to control a computer by thinking. The merger of man with machine is underway.
You will also be interested
[EN VIDÉO] A 3D dive inside the brain Thanks to an ingenious method called Clarity, a research team created a transparent brain. By labeling the different molecules of this organ with fluorescent antibodies, the authors were able to observe what is hidden there.
Elon Musk hopes he can, via his Neurolink company, implant chips in the brain human from 2022. This chip, already tested on monkeys, makes it possible to record and stimulate brain activity. It is intended for medical use. As a first step, it should allow people with disabilities physical to recover their ability to movement.
In a short interview withElon musk to Wall Street Journal on the occasion of the CEO Council Summit, the american entrepreneur gave an update on his Neuralink project. The CEO announced that Neuralink hoped to start human trials as early as 2022. However, he must wait for the approval of the Food and Drugs Administration which issues warrants to authorize the marketing of drugs.
The first trials on humans have been postponed for several years. A first date was scheduled for the end of 2020, then postponed to 2021 and now to 2022. Neuralink has created an electronic chip device directly implanted in the brain to control digital devices or to reduce movement handicaps.
” We hope to be able to implant this device in our first humans – who will be people with severe lesions of the spinal cord, like the quadriplegic or some quadriplegics – next year, subject to FDA approval, said the CEO of Neuralink. And, I must say, our standards for implantation of the device are significantly higher than those of the FDA. Just like our safety standards with You’re here are much higher than what the US government requires “.
Pager, a 9-year-old monkey, plays pong with his mind. © Neuralink
The brain stimulated by electrodes
The N1 Link is a 1,024 channel device that Neuralink has manufactured for the therapeutic use of patients. Once the device is implanted in a patient’s brain, it is supposed to transmit data invisibly via a wireless connection. Neuralink has been carrying out tests on monkeys for several years with encouraging results.
For example, a video shows a monkey named Pager capable of playing Pong just with his mind. Staggering! This chip works by implanting electrodes in the region of brain which controls movement before connecting to a larger network. The system will then process, stimulate and transmit neural signals to control movement.
This chip is infinitely small, so thin that human hands cannot handle it
This chip is infinitely small and, according to Neuralink, so thin that human hands cannot manipulate it. This is why the company is also developing robots capable of placing them at the exact location of the brain.
Elon Musk is cautiously optimistic about the future of the N1 Link. He thinks Neuralink’s device could help people with severe brain damage. spinal cord. In the long run, these chips could have even more amazing features. But for now, the promises are getting longer …
Interested in what you just read?
.
fs1