In January 2024, Neuralink implanted a neurochip for the first time in a completely paralyzed Noland Arbo. Already in February, it became known that the patient can control the mouse cursor with the help of thoughts. Now, 100 days after implantation, Neuralink shares details about the course of the experiment.
Early problems and solutions
In the first weeks after surgery, some of the implant filaments began to leave the brain, which led to data loss, as reported in Neuralink. To solve this problem, the engineers tuned the device's algorithm to become more sensitive to neuronal signals and improved the way they were converted into cursor movements.
A few weeks after the correction, Arbo was able to use the implant to control the laptop in various positions, including lying in bed. He started playing online chess and Civilization VI, streaming and controlling other applications by moving the cursor "with the power of thought." He also uses an implant to play Mario Kart on the Nintendo Switch.
Arbo participates in research sessions on weekdays, which can last up to 8 hours a day. On weekends, he devotes up to 10 hours to personal use of the device and rest. One of the estimates of the effectiveness of the implant is the speed and accuracy of cursor control, which is measured in bits/s (BPS). Arbo managed to achieve a speed of 8 bits/s, which is close to the results shown by engineers using a conventional computer mouse, where the figure is 10 bits/s.
Expanding the functionality of the implant
Neuralink aims to improve the effectiveness of the implant so that it can compete with conventional computer control methods, as well as expand the functionality of the implant, including text input. In the future, the company plans to provide the ability to control robotic arms, wheelchairs and other devices using an implant.