In big news for accessibility, Synchron has announced that it has successfully connected its brain implant to the Apple Vision Pro headset. This means that people with limited physical movement can now control the headset using only their thoughts.
Synchron conducted the initial test on a 64-year-old man with ALS who played Solitaire, watched Apple TV, and sent text messages hands-free — using Synchron’s implant. The man, Synchron explained in a press release, otherwise couldn’t use the headset because his loss of upper limb function meant he couldn’t complete hand gestures required to use the Vision Pro.
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Synchron’s brain-computer interface, or BCI, has been implanted in at least six US patients. The device is inserted through the jugular vein and delivered to blood vessels that rest on the brain’s surface, meaning it doesn’t require surgery. An antenna sits under the skin of the wearer’s chest.
While this alone is a pretty incredible feat, the future implications are even bigger. Entirely new fields of technology will now be open for millions of people who don’t have the use of their limbs or voice.
“Using this type of enhanced reality is so impactful,” said Mark, the man who received the implant, “and I can imagine it would be for others in my position or others who have lost the ability to engage in their day-to-day life.”
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Tom Oxley, CEO & Founder of Synchron, pointed out how this technology would be able to connect people with injury or disease to fast-changing technology of today. “This is a critical unmet need,” he said, “for millions of people with paralysis.”
If this development sees further deployment, it could also mean a boost for VR and AR headsets. The Vision Pro has struggled to gain footing (perhaps because of its price), but it might find more customers if it offered more accessibility features and more potentially life-changing applications.
Speaking to CNBC, Oxley said his company would likely incorporate this technology into other headsets over time.
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