A Neuralink patient is able to move computer cursors with his mind and even play first-person shooter video games, the firm says.
New footage shared by Elon Musk’s neurotech company shows how the implants are developing – and Alex is the second human patient.
Of his surgery, Neuralink said: “Last month, Alex,* the second participant in our PRIME Study,** received his Neuralink implant (Link). The surgery, conducted at the Barrow Neurological Institute, went well — Alex was discharged the following day, and his recovery has been smooth.
“With the Link, he has been improving his ability to play video games and began learning how to use computer-aided design (CAD) software to design 3D objects.
“This marks another significant step towards providing a high-performance interface that will enhance the control of digital devices for people with quadriplegia to help restore their autonomy.”
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Reviewing the implant, Alex said: “I’m already super impressed with how this works.”
According to the company’s announcement, Alex managed to connect his Link to his computer, taking less than five minutes to start controlling a cursor with his mind.
One of Alex’s passions is building and designing things, but a spinal cord injury limits his ability. He used to work as a technician before his injury.
On his second day of using Link, Alex used design software for the first time and managed to design a custom mount for his Neuralink charger, which was then 3D printed.
He can exert limitations of computation control, but the Link developers are trying to expand to more advanced controls like zoom, scrolling, and click-and-drag.
“Taking an idea, putting it as a design, and actually having a physical item as a finished product makes me feel like I’m building things again,” Alex said.
In one of the more dystopian developments, Alex can now look side to side when playing the video game Counter-Strike, allowing him to have much more ease in playing video games.
He uses a Quadstick, a mouth-operated joystick with sip-and-puff pressure sensors and a lip position sensor for clicking, but only having one joystick meant the need to switch from moving and looking.
“Just running around is so enjoyable because I can look side to side, and not need to move Quadstick left and right… I can [think about where to] look and it goes where I want it to. It’s insane,” Alex said.
