The emergence and development of various wearable devices have made it easier for the public to control the digital world and make the virtual world more real.
So what equipment is needed to truly enter the metaverse and enjoy a smooth experience? The answer for many science fiction enthusiasts may be the same: brain-computer interface. And science fiction works such as "Sword Art Online", "The Matrix", and "Ready Player One" have actually shown us a possibility of the future.
Imagine that when you log in to the game, you no longer have to follow rigid preset actions to operate the device, but can move freely according to your own will? Going one step further, if this technology becomes more mature, maybe one day in the future, even if the human body dies, the mind can be stored in the cloud forever, achieving "digital immortality"? This does sound sci-fi, right? But in fact, there is already a group of people working on turning "science fiction" into "science."
| Elon Musk: The first human brain-computer interface surgery
Elon Musk has announced that the first human implanted with Neuralink's brain chip has made a full recovery, and the patient is now able to control a mouse using only their thoughts, nearly one month after having the company's chip implanted.
Musk said last month that the company's first product would be called Telepathy, adding that its initial users will be people who have lost the use of their limbs. "Imagine if Stephen Hawking could communicate faster than a speed typist or auctioneer. That is the goal," he wrote.
Founded in 2016, Neuralink is an American neurotechnology company that is developing implantable brain–computer interfaces (BCIs). According to the official website, the company is creating a generalized brain interface to restore autonomy to those with unmet medical needs today and unlock human potential tomorrow.
The so-called brain-computer interface is to create a connection path for information exchange between the human brain and external devices.
Example of a brain-computer interface device, which is about the size of a coin and has "wires" connected to the brain.
When electronic implants in the brain collect signals from the brain, they can convert them into commands that drive external devices.
In 2021, Neuralink released a video of Pager, a male macaque, playing Pong – a computer game – using just its mind to move a cursor onscreen without using a joystick to do so. This caused a huge sensation at the time.
The surgical robot for implant
Since 2019, Musk has repeatedly stated that Neuralink will start human body time for brain-computer interfaces, but was rejected by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) due to safety risks.
It was not until May 25, 2023, that approval was obtained to officially launch the first human clinical study of brain implants.
On September 19, 2023, Neuralink began open recruitment, stating that the subject criteria for the first human experiment are people under the age of 40 who are quadriplegic due to ALS.
In the latest progress of Neuralink in 2024, Musk said that the operation was very successful and the preliminary results showed promising neuron spike detection.
This suggests that Neuralink's device is detecting signals from individual neurons inside the brain, perhaps enabling the decoding of higher quality brain signals.
Although brain-computer interface technology allows people to have a broader imagination, it is still far away from true large-scale commercialization.
Even setting aside technical issues, issues including security, ethics, privacy, social equity, etc. still need to be weighed.
Humanity is still on the road to knocking on the door of the metaverse.
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