IT House April 25 news, Elon Musk shared some updates about brain-computer interface company Neuralink, including that the company is still expected to conduct human trials by the end of 2022.
Last February, Musk said Neuralink was working "super hard" to keep its brain implants safe. He also said Neuralink was in close communication with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to begin preliminary human trials later that year. However, 2021 has passed and Neuralink has not conducted human trials. Earlier this year, Neuralink opened the positions of clinical trial director and clinical trial coordinator, suggesting that the company is closer to conducting human trials on its devices.
Recently, Musk noted that Neuralink may be able to solve the problem of morbid obesity. Musk first mentioned the topic in his TED interview with Chris Anderson. He told Anderson that Neuralink will focus on tackling brain and spine injuries over the next decade.
"We're working to bridge the broken link between the brain and the body." In response to an article by Teslarati, Elon Musk said, "The nerve chains in the motor and sensory cortex pass through weak/ruptured links in the neck/spine and should theoretically be able to restore function throughout the body." ”
Musk also told Anderson that in the long run, Neuralink devices can address health conditions such as morbid obesity. Andrew Jackson, a professor at Newcastle University and an expert on neural interfaces, noted that Musk's claim about Neuralink is possible. Jackson specifically noted that Neuralink implants are less invasive than other treatments for morbid obesity.
IT House understands that Musk has listed Neuralink's main mission priorities to reach its current goals. He points to an "electronic/mechanical/software engineering problem" with Neuralink implants, which he compares to the complexity of smartwatches, which he acknowledges is not easy. Musk invites anyone with experience in smartwatch or cell phone engineering and manufacturing to join Neuralink because their skills are "directly applicable."
The Tesla CEO also stressed that Neuralink is developing its surgical robots, which are essential for connecting implants to the brain. Musk noted that the surgical robot is comparable to state-of-the-art computer numerical control machine tools (CNC).
According to a 2021 Neuralink video, the company's brain implant consists of a "small ball" containing a "secret active electronic device" and flexible electrodes that are about 50 microns wide, 5 microns thick, and 20 millimeters long. Electrodes attached to ice hockey balls are often referred to as "wires" in videos, or likened to strands of hair. The electrodes are very fragile.