Neuralink brain implant user controls robotic arm, writes ‘Convoy’ in new video

Neuralink’s N1 chip eliminates the need for wires or any physical movement, enabling quadriplegic individuals to operate gadgets using their minds.

Neuralink’s latest demo hints at major breakthrough in brain robotics.

Neuralink/YouTube

Elon Musk’s Neuralink suggests a human patient may have successfully used its brain chip to control a robotic arm. A video posted by the neurotechnology firm shows a robotic arm writing ‘Convoy’ on a whiteboard, referencing the company’s study on brain-controlled assistive robotics.

The demonstration highlights progress in Neuralink’s N1 chip, designed to restore mobility and communication for individuals with disabilities. While details remain limited, the clip hints at potential breakthroughs in brain-machine interface technology.

In November, Neuralink announced approval for a new feasibility study (CONVOY), on its brain implant and robotic arm, advancing brain-computer interface research.

Brain-powered robotics

The new 30-second clip reveals little, including the operator’s identity. Neuralink’s X post shares the video along with a heart, robot arm, and pen emojis, hinting at brain-controlled robotic advancements. The demonstration is part of its CONVOY feasibility exercise announced in November, which includes participants in its ongoing PRIME (Precise Robotically Implanted Brain-Computer Interface) study.

Some observers noted the significance of Neuralink’s demonstration, suggesting the patient was controlling the robotic arm using only their mind, without a joystick or muscle sensor. Musk acknowledged the interpretation as accurate, according to a report by PCMag.

A tiny, aesthetically undetectable brain-computer interface (BCI) implant is inserted into the area of the brain responsible for movement planning as part of Neuralink’s PRIME project.

With the use of this implant, individuals who are quadriplegic can use their minds to operate external equipment such as laptops and smartphones. The BCI implant eliminates the need for wires and any physical movement.

People with disabilities, such as those who have amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) or cervical spinal cord injuries that limit or eliminate their ability to use both hands, have been invited to join Musk’s startup’s patient registry.

In January 2024, 30-year-old Noland Arbaugh, who suffered an accident in 2016 that left him paralyzed from the shoulders down, became the first individual to get Neuralink’s brain implant. Despite some difficulties along the way, Neuralink was able to modify the implant’s algorithm to improve its sensitivity and get it working again.

After this, Musk said in a podcast in August that the second patient’s BCI implant was functioning properly. Within the year, Neuralink intends to implant the device in eight additional patients and greatly expand its clinical trials. A crucial first step in confirming the technology’s efficacy and safety on a broader scale is this expansion.

Neuralink expands trials

Neuralink is expanding its BCI research beyond the US. Following approval for a feasibility study on using its N1 Implant to control an assistive robotic arm, the company announced its first international trial.

In November, Neuralink also received Health Canada’s approval for the CAN-PRIME Study, now open to Canadian nationals.

Reports indicate that Canadian neurosurgeons seek regulatory approval to recruit six patients with paralysis for voluntary implantation of the BCI device. A specialized 1.8-ton robot will implant 64 electrodes, each with 16 contacts, into the hand-motor areas of patients’ brains. These electrodes will transmit neural activity, allowing users to control connected devices through thought alone.

Meanwhile, more details on the Convoy study, aimed at further refining BCI-controlled robotics, are awaited. Neuralink has stated that additional updates will be shared in due course as research progresses.