From gaming to learning new languages, brain-computer interface (BCI) technology is rapidly entering everyday life, making tasks like online shopping and streaming as simple as a thought. On September 17, Synchron, a competitor to Neuralink, announced that a clinical patient named Mark, who has been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), is now able to stream shows, shop online, and control devices using only his mind, thanks to the Synchron brain chip implant.
So how does this work? According to the company, a tiny chip implant was placed in a blood vessel on the brain’s surface, enabling the Synchron patient to mentally “tap” icons on an Amazon Fire tablet, giving him access to Alexa’s many features.
“Synchron’s brain-computer interface (BCI) device, also known as the Stentrode, is a minimally invasive device that detects brain signals related to movement intention,” said Kimberly Ha, Communications Lead at Synchron, in an email to The Debrief. “Once implanted in a blood vessel near the motor cortex, it translates these neural signals into digital commands.”
“For ALS patients, who often lose motor function, this technology allows them to control, enabling control of devices like Amazon Alexa or Apple Vision Pro, through thought alone,” Ha explained.
According to the New York-based company, Mark could also make video calls, play music, control smart home devices like lights, and read books by using his mind to control Alexa.
This is a significant first for Synchron and a development that has given them a platform to showcase their advanced brain interface technology.
The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke defines Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), formerly Lou Gehrig’s disease, as a neurological disorder affecting motor neurons, the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord that control voluntary muscle movement and breathing. As motor neurons degenerate and die, they stop sending messages to the muscles, which causes the muscles to weaken, start to twitch (fasciculations), and waste away (atrophy). Eventually, in people with ALS, the brain loses its ability to initiate and control voluntary movements such as walking, talking, chewing, and other functions, as well as breathing.
“Synchron’s BCI technology has the potential to revolutionize care for individuals with neurodegenerative diseases, such as ALS, or others with limited mobility. By restoring the ability to control devices with their thoughts, this technology can enable greater independence,” Ha said.
Synchron offers people suffering from ALS, along with their loved ones, a degree of hope as the new technology places them on the brink of finding a way to combat the deadly disease.
For Mark, the company’s brain chip technology restored a sense of independence to his life.
“To be able to manage important aspects of my environment and control access to entertainment gives me back the independence that I’m losing,” Mark said in a press release from Synchron on September 16.
According to the company, the test aimed to demonstrate how customers could use only their minds to control Alexa-compatible smart home devices like door cameras, plugs, and thermostats.
“While many smart home systems rely on voice or touch, we are sending control signals directly from the brain,” Synchron founder and chief executive Tom Oxley said in the release.
“Patients can interact with devices in their home hands and voice-free, using only their thoughts.”
While potentially promising, the future is still unclear for all BCI companies, and risks and complications with the technology may still arise at any time. These could include data privacy issues, which the company already says it is working to mitigate.
Chrissy Newton is a PR professional and founder of VOCAB Communications. She currently appears on The Discovery Channel and Max and hosts the Rebelliously Curious podcast, which can be found on The Debrief’s YouTube Channel on all audio podcast streaming platforms. Follow her on X: @ChrissyNewton and at chrissynewton.com.