Synchron has connected a brain implant to Apple Vision Pro

Neurotechnology company Synchron has connected a brain implant to the Apple Vision Pro mixed reality headset. CNBC reported.

Thanks to this, patients with limited physical activity and an integrated brain-computer interface (BCI) can control the gadget with the power of their mind.

Synchron is developing a BCI for patients with paralysis so that they can control devices like smartphones or computers with their thoughts. The company has become the first in the US to implant a neural interface in a human brain.

Apple released Vision Pro at the beginning of the year. The gadget can be controlled by eye movements, voice commands, or hand gestures. Synchron is working to make the device available to patients who are unable to speak or move their upper limbs.

CEO of Synchron, Thomas Oksley, noted that the Apple ecosystem is best in class, so the company is focused on Vision Pro. The plan is then to connect BCI to other headsets.

The first new solution was tested by a 64-year-old patient named Mark. He began using Vision Pro in April. According to him, managing the headset is not much different from using iPhone, IPAD and computer.

“For me, it’s just another way to gain some independence,” he said.

Mark cannot raise his hands and draw, so he uses an Apple gadget to create works of art. He also enjoys looking at constellations in the sky with the help of a special app.

Earlier, Synchron implemented OpenAI’s generative AI into its BCI interface platform. Mark was the first to test the technology for communicating with a doctor.

Although Synchron is a pioneer in integrating neural interfaces into the brain, the concept gained widespread attention after the successes of Elon Musk’s Neuralink.

Recall, in January, the billionaire’s startup implanted the first brain chip in a human. Soon, he learned to control the cursor with the power of his mind.