At the end of last year, elon Musk, the world's richest man, said in an interview with a media outlet that the current concept of "meta-universe" is very formal, not to mention that it will completely change the world.
Musk taunted, "Sure, you can put the TV screen on your nose, but I'm not sure it's going to get you into the virtual world, and it's uncomfortable to tie this thing to your head all the time." ”
Musk recommends what he sees as a better alternative: Implant tiny chips in the human brain that connect the human senses with the digital world to easily enter virtual reality (VR). The technology will be provided by Neuralink, a brain-computer interface company he co-founded.
Musk said Neuralink is committed to helping treat a variety of neurological disorders and now allows monkeys to play video games based on their thoughts alone. Musk said, "In the long run, the mature Neuralink allows you to fully immerse yourself in virtual reality." ”
Although at its current pace, Neuralink is still some time away from maturing. Recently, there was encouraging news: the company is hiring a clinical trial director and multiple clinical trial coordinators, which indicates that the company is close to achieving its long-term goals.
Musk has said in both 2019 and 2021 that Neuralink hopes to implant its device into the human brain sometime in the next year, suggesting that the project's progress in 2021-2022 is more substantial.
According to a recruitment post posted by Neuralink in a publicly available system, the clinical trial director will be responsible for overseeing human trials of the company's medical devices and working with the first clinical trial participants. The position is for the need to establish and lead a "team responsible for facilitating Neuralink clinical research activities" in compliance with regulations.
In general, medical device manufacturers must undergo multiple tests on their way to fda approval, the first of which is the "feasibility test." After submitting, reviewing, and approving procedures to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on the basis of a feasibility test, the next step is the pivotal device test.
Neuralink didn't say where it was on, though device manufacturers typically start hiring a test director early in their interactions with the FDA to help design trials to maximize the chances of passing FDA approval.
Neuralink is not the only brain-computer interface company in the United States. Last year, Synchron, who also focuses on brain-computer interface technology, said the FDA had approved plans for its feasibility study. A Synchron spokesperson revealed that the company is currently recruiting test subjects.