Elon Musk’s Neuralink Working on Vision Chip for the Visually Impaired
Elon Musk recently confirmed that his company, Neuralink, is developing a vision chip to assist the visually impaired. He made this statement in response to a parent who shared his son’s struggle with a rare eye condition on Twitter. The father, Marcus House, revealed that his son had Retinal Dystrophy, which causes decreased vision over time. Musk assured him that Neuralink is working on technology to supplement or replace eyesight, following their current work on assisted motor control.
Neuralink has yet to respond to Decrypt’s request for comment. This announcement comes as Neuralink is preparing to test its brain-computer interface on human subjects, after receiving FDA approval for clinical trials. The trials will involve surgically implanting a chip in the brain region controlling movement intentions.
Neuralink and Other Companies in Neurological Technology
In addition to Neuralink, other companies like Onward, Synchron, Emotiv, Kernel, and MindMaze are also working on neurological technology. However, despite Musk’s optimistic update, Neuralink still has ground to cover compared to fellow brain interface company Synchron.
In August 2020, Synchron received FDA approval for human clinical trials. Furthermore, there have been other significant advancements in neuroscience research, such as the successful implantation of microchips into the brain of a quadriplegic individual at Northwell Health’s Feinstein Institutes in New York.
Hot Take: The Future of Neuralink and Neurological Technology
The work being done by Neuralink and other companies in the field of neurological technology presents a promising future for individuals with disabilities. With ongoing research and development efforts, there is hope for significant advancements that could improve the quality of life for many people. As these technologies continue to evolve, they have the potential to revolutionize how we approach and address various medical conditions and disabilities.
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