Musk's Neuralink has a competitor!
Human brains could soon become machines. But, Musk won't be the first one to do so!
A few months ago, a monkey implanted with Neuralink in its brain was playing a game of ping-pong only with its brain. The company revealed that it intends to expand this brain-implant technology to improve the lives of people who cannot make any movements because of paralysis and other disabilities.
Here’s a quick video of the monkey to jog your memory:
This is where technology marries the brain. This is where the brain and computer become one and the same. This is where sci-fi comes to reality. The possibilities are endless and we couldn’t stop thinking about them!
Sure, the stardom of Elon Musk has lent this upcoming technology fame, glamour, and popularity like none other.
But turns out, Neuralink is not the only company that’s solving this problem.
There is another lesser-known company, Synchron. And, this company has beaten Neuralink to get FDA approval for human trials in the US!
In fact, the company has already held trials on 4 patients in Australia. Here, check out a human using a computer just with their brain:
Fascinating, isn’t it?
While both the companies plan to do similar things, the techniques used by them vary a lot.
Neuralink drills a hole in the skull to place electrodes in brain tissues. This process cannot be performed by humans and needs machines to perform the surgery.
Now, as per Synchron, such a method of electrode insertion can lead to brain inflammation in the long run. So, it uses a minimally invasive process, via blood vessels that do not require the robotic procedure.
Maybe Neuralink has not got permission for human trials owing to these concerns?
Well. Apart from being a medical marvel and tech for the future, Synchron can possibly make $20 billion in revenue by catering to the needs of patients with paralysis.
But, both these companies face the same challenge. The challenge of scalability. You see, both the technologies require sophisticated tools and high levels of expertise.
Will Synchron be able to seize the first-mover advantage that it has gotten in the name of FDA approval? Or will Neuralink’s refined marketing gimmicks and high valuations (it recently raised $205 million, the largest by any company in this field) give it an edge over Synchron?
Only time will tell…
Liked it? Let us know! Join us on WhatsApp, and share your feedback! 👇