A patient with ALS in the United States is the first person to use Apple Vision Pro with an implantable brain-computer interface. Apple’s spatial computer, which already offered breakthrough hand and voice experiences, now goes a step further by enabling brain control. Brain-controlled commands replace the need for hand gestures for people with paralysis.
The news was shared by Synchron, a brain-computer interface (BCI) company. The company says that Mark, a 64-year-old man with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), successfully used his thoughts to control the cursor on Apple Vision Pro while he played Solitaire, watched Apple TV, and sent text messages using the Synchron brain-computer interface.
As the company explains, Mark would be unable to use Apple Vision Pro without this technology due to the loss of function of his upper limbs. The man shared his thoughts about trying Vision Pro for the first time as well.
“This is pretty cool, I’ve been wanting to try this for a while now,” Mark said in reaction to using his BCI to watch a video on the Vision Pro. “It’s like watching it in the theater, it really comes to life. Using this type of enhanced reality is so impactful and I can imagine it would be for others in my position or others who have lost the ability to engage in their day-to-day life. It can transport you to places you never thought you’d see or experience again.”
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Image source: Synchron
According to Synchron’s CEO and founder, Tom Oxley, BCI is a platform to “re-connect people with injury or disease” back to tech. “We are moving towards a new Bluetooth standard for Human Computer Interactions that don’t require touch or speech.”
The Synchron BCI is implanted in the blood vessel on the surface of the motor cortex of the brain via the jugular vein through a minimally invasive endovascular procedure. Once implanted, it is designed to detect and wirelessly transmit motor intent out of the brain. It is intended to restore the capability of severely paralyzed people to control personal devices with hands-free interactions.
Mark says the BCI was implanted in August 2023. Since then, he’s been practicing different skills and functions twice a week. Even though Apple Vision Pro is a new device, he believes it was as simple as using his iPhone, iPad, and computer. Thanks to Apple’s accessibility features, Synchron was able to pave the way to integrate its breakthrough technology with Cupertino’s devices.
At this moment, Synchron is preparing for large-scale clinical studies to expand its technology, as it has been implanted in six patients in the US and four in Australia. The company seeks approval from the US Food and Drug Administration to commercialize its tech.
Besides this breakthrough use, Apple Vision Pro is also praised by the medical community as a key tool for surgeries.