Apple working on brain implants to control devices for people with disabilities

According to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), Apple is collaborating with start-up company Synchron to find new solutions for controlling devices via thought transmission, i.e., neural impulses. Synchron has developed the Stentrode implant, a BCI (Brain Computer Interface) that is inserted like a stent into a vein above the motor cortex in the brain. Equipped with 16 electrodes, the Stentrode can register subtle neuronal activities associated with movement and convert these into device control commands, such as on the iPhone. Since 2019, the Stentrode has been implanted in ten people.

One user of the Stentrode implant is Mark Jackson, who has amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). He reported that he is able to operate an Apple Vision Pro headset with the help of his implant and Apple's adapted software. The implant signals are processed via existing alternative device control functions in Apple's operating systems. However, Jackson points out that current navigation is slower than traditional methods because direct cursor control by thought is not yet possible.

Synchron CEO Tom Oxley emphasized that a standard specifically tailored to BCI devices from manufacturers such as Apple would significantly expand the possibilities. Apple reportedly plans to introduce such a standard for developers by the end of 2025, which would facilitate the integration of brain implant inputs into software.

The development of a specific standard by Apple could be an important step toward making BCIs more widely available and shaping the future of human-computer interaction. Morgan Stanley estimates that around 150,000 people with severe upper extremity impairments in the United States alone could be among the potential early adopters of BCI devices.