Apple backs brain-chip tech to control devices using thought

The company that redefined the smartphone may soon redefine how we use our minds to control it

Apple is teaming up with a neurotech startup called Synchron to make thought-controlled devices a

reality, and the future might be closer than you think. The technology is called a brain-computer

interface, or BCI, and at the center of it is Synchron's stentrode, a tiny device implanted in

jugular vein and guided into a blood vessel near the brain's motor cortex. It picks up neural

signals from the brain and wirelessly transmits them to external devices. No keyboard, no mouse

and no open brain surgery required. Synchron CEO Tom Oxley says the technology is transformative

What we're doing differently is using the blood vessels as the natural highway into the brain

and lacing the inside of the blood vessels with electrodes or sensors that can record activity from the brain

That platform then is like a Bluetooth out of your brain to control a computer or a device where there is no need for a keyboard or a mouse

Synchron's tech is already changing lives. In this video, a man named Rodney, who has ALS, uses the implant and an Apple Vision Pro headset to text his wife, turn on lights and fans, and even feed his dog

To mark Global Accessibility Awareness Day on May 15th Apple announced new features supporting BCIs across its devices making it easier for users with limited mobility to interact with their tech hands

Apple has made accessibility a key part of its products for years, adding features that help people with disabilities use their devices

Recent updates include tools like voice control and sound recognition, and now built-in eye tracking for iPhone and iPad

This lets users control their devices just by moving their eyes using the front-facing camera

But Apple's new support for brain-computer interfaces takes it up a notch

making it possible for users to control their devices with no movement at all

Synchron isn't alone in this space. Elon Musk's company Neuralink is also developing a brain chip

But unlike Synchron, Neuralink's devices require invasive brain surgery, removing a section of the skull to implant a chip, which is then sealed back in place

So far, no fully implantable BCI has been approved for commercial use

Synchron's device has been implanted in 10 patients across Australia and the U.S. as part of clinical trials

Experts believe FDA approval for broader use could come as soon as 2030

According to Morgan Stanley, BCI technology could serve nearly 10 million people with neurological conditions and unlock a $400 billion market in the process

With Straight Arrow News, I'm Kennedy Felton. Download our app or visit san.com for more