Friends who like to watch sci-fi blockbusters are no strangers, AI, robots, and various technologies are dazzling.
Xiao Lei, as a science fiction movie fan, likes a certain future technology that is too brain-opening and cool.
After all, 10 years ago, we probably couldn't have imagined that today's technology could develop to this point, right?
In today's era of technology surging with one foot on the accelerator, it is difficult to say what various technologies will become in 5 years.
As soon as it is said, Xiao Lei was killed this morningFor the first time, humans have received a brain-computer interface chip implantThe news was stunned.
What the hell, the human implant chip in the science fiction movie has become a reality?! This matter also has something to do with Musk.
Good guy, this time not only whetted Xiao Lei's appetite, but the major Internet platforms also exploded one after another.
So the question is, what is the current progress of brain-computer interface chip implantation? In what direction will it develop in the future?
With these questions, Xiao Lei sorted out a large wave of information, and then immediately sorted it out for his friends.
Just today, Musk posted on his personal account on the social **x platform:
Yesterday, for the first time, humans received a brain-computer interface (neuralink) chip implantation, and the implant person is recovering well
He also saidPreliminary results suggest that neuronal spike detection is promisingNo other details were disclosed, though.
Source: x@elon Musk
Seeing this, Xiao Lei quickly searched on the official website of Neuralink, not to mention that there was really an unexpected gain.
The so-called neuralink is a neurotechnology and brain-computer interface company founded by Musk and eight other founders.
The company was established in 2016 and officially met with the public in March 2017, responsible for the research and development of implantable brain-computer interface technology.
Speaking of people, the company's goal is to implant chips into the human brain so that the human brain and machines can interact.
Source: Wikipedia.
How does it work? Xiao Lei also found instructions on the official website.
First of allThe implant is called N1The exterior is a bit like a small button battery, and the outside is a biocompatible casing to adapt to the environment in the human body.
Inside, there are custom low-power chips and electronic devices to process neural signals; There is also a small battery that can be charged externally.
Implant N1 Source: Neuralink official website.
How can such a small chip be implanted into the human brain? Well, that's itSurgical robot R1It's time to do the work.
R1 focuses on the head and the needle, which contains the optics and sensors of the 5 camera systems, as well as the optics that have a scanning system. The needle, on the other hand, is thinner than a human hair and can be grasped, inserted, and released with precision that cannot be achieved by human hands.
With the blessing of R1 and N1, Neuralink's official website says that the appearance is invisible after implantation, and the main product is a seamless implant?
Surgical robot R1 Source: Neuralink official website.
Once the N1 is implanted, the chip inside records brain signals and wirelessly transmits them to Neuralink's decoding motion intent app.
By decoding brain signals, the app allows the implanter to use a Bluetooth link to control other external devices, enabling the interaction between the human brain and the machine.
Source: neuralink official website.
Musk then said that the first Neuralink product would be calledtelepathy.
Does it sound like it's full of sci-fi attributes? In fact, at this stage, neuralink's brain-computer interaction is more focused on helping.
Help people who have lost or have limited mobility to use their phones or computers to control their devices just by thinking.
From the current point of view, the implantation of the brain-computer chip has been considered successful, and the realization of the interaction will wait for follow-up news.
Source: x@elon Musk
In fact, this is not the first time that neuralink has been implanted with a brain-computer chip, and there have been relevant animal experiments before.
In August 2020, when Musk conducted a technical demonstration on the spot, he once showed pigs implanted with brain-computer interfaces for 2 months.
He said the pig behaved like other pigs without a device, and also showed a state of reading brain activity, and said that multiple neuralinks could be placed in one brain.
Source: Paike Technology.
In April 2021, neuralink released a new **.
**A monkey named Pager is implanted in the device and can control the cursor to move the cursor around the screen to play a game through the brain.
After the device was implanted, the research team initially taught the Pager to play video games with a gamepad while feeding him bananas through a metal straw as a reward.
During this time, neuralink has been keeping track of which neurons are activated to learn and **pager hand movements.
So, after mastering this set of modes, even if the pager's controller is not connected to the computer, it can continue to control the cursor to play games with its brain signal alone.
Source: Internet.
It is also because of the blessing of the results of animal experimentsOn May 26, 2023, Neuralink officially announced that it has received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to initiate its first-in-human clinical study.
Well, this study is the first human brain-computer implant case introduced by Xiaolei and everyone today.
Source: x@neuralink
As for who is this volunteer who dared to be the first to challenge the new technology? At this time, Neuralink is not publicly available.
Judging from the recruitment conditions of the experimental subject on the official website, it should be an adult with limited limb health.
Source: neuralink official website.
There may be friends who think that they also want to install a chip to become stronger, so when will this technology land?
From the perspective of industry development and Xiaolei's personal view, there is still a long way to go for brain-computer interface chip implantation to be popularized.
On the one hand, it is not yet known what the success rate of the chip will be after implantation and how long the chip will remain functional.
Will the implanter's normal life be negatively affected in the coming decades? Do the pros outweigh the cons?
On the other hand, similar to technologies such as cloning, the implantation of brain-computer interface chips will also face ethical challenges.
In December 2022, Neuralink faced an investigation by U.S. federal authorities on suspicion of rude animal experimentation.
Animals are so important, not to mention humans, this aspect is also a problem that Neuralink will break through in the future.
Source: IT House.
But in general, Neuralink's operation also showed the world a new form of combining human and technology.
As for the stage of development of brain-computer interface chips, and what achievements can be achieved? Let's wait and see!
Cover image source: neuralink