Playing games with your mind is not a science fiction idea anymore, elon musk’s new start-up “neuralink” put a computer chip into the monkey’s skull and used “tiny wires” to connect it to its brain, monkey has been wired up to play video games with its mind, Musk said.
Let’s start with this blog about neualink, what is its goal and how it will affect gaming in the future.
Table of Contents
Neuralink: definition and reasons
What is Neuralink?
Neuralink is a little chip that will be surgically inserted into the brain using robotics by neurosurgeons. In this procedure, a chipset called the link is implanted in the skull. It has a number of insulated wires connected from the electrodes that are used in the process. This device can then be used to operate smartphones and computers without having to touch it.
How does Neuralink work?
The electrodes that are part of the Neuralink will read electrical signals that are produced by several neurons in the brain. The signals are then outputted in form of an action or movement. According to the company’s website, the device is implanted directly in the brain because placing it outside the head will not detect the signals produced by the brain accurately.
What does Neuralink do?
As mentioned above, Neuralink can be used to operate encephalopathy. It can also be used as a connection between the human brain and technology. This means that people with paralysis can easily operate their phones and computer directly with their brain. Its main purpose is to help people to communicate through text or voice messages. Of course, Neuralink is not limited to that, it can also be utilised to draw pictures, take photographs and do other activities.
What is the goal of Neuralink?
Neuralink’s goal is to translate human brain signals into seamless instructions for a machine, so that people with paralysis can still interact with technology around them. A person with the implant would theoretically be able to send a text message, use a speech synthesizer or even move a robotic limb
Neuralink human trials
The brain data transfer company Synchron has gotten the green light from the FDA to begin a human trial of its brain chip, according to a press release issued Wednesday.
The company will begin what is called an early feasibility study later this year at New York’s Mount Sinai Hospital. The study will examine the safety and efficacy of its flagship product, known as the Stentrode motor neuroprosthesis, in patients with severe paralysis. Synchron is hopeful that its device will allow the patients to use brain data to “control digital devices and achieve improvements in functional independence.” The study, called the COMMAND trial, will enroll six patients.
The FDA’s go-ahead “reflects years of safety testing performed in conjunction with FDA,” Synchron CEO Thomas Oxley said in the release.
Neuralink price
There’s lots of variation, but when I take an average of the prices I’ve seen, LASIK hovers around a cost of $2,000 — $3,000 for both eyes. I couldn’t find a good breakdown of the costs for LASIK, so here’s a breakdown of a very similar procedure called PRK. It’s a slightly more expensive procedure, but it’s cool to see how some of the specific costs would get broken up. My guess is similar percentages of the overall cost would be the same for LASIK:
The cost of a surgeon’s labor hovers around a quarter of the cost. Then the remainder gets split between the equipment and the follow-up appointments after the procedure.
25%: surgeon’s labor + materials
35%: laser + another tech equipment
40%: pre-operation and follow-up
Keep in mind, LASIK is considered an elective surgery and not an essential procedure. Because of that, it’s rare that insurance would cover the entire cost. I know this is only stuff the US audience would know about, but LASIK is also eligible for reimbursement with Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs), Health Savings Accounts (HSAs), and Health Reimbursement Accounts (HRAs). Okay, we all know most of us Americans don’t know about at least one of those accounts existing. Regardless, the cost ends up being about $2,000 — $3,000 for most people.
Neuralink in gaming
everyone is wondering what is the next video game innovation will be. There have been so many industry-changing modern innovations like online multiplayer, mobile gaming, virtual reality and ray tracing. In short, the gaming industry is always evolving with the latest technologies. Neuralink’s recent video released by introduces Pager, a Macaque Monkey who was implanted with a Neuralink chip in each side of his brain. Encouraging him with a banana smoothie delivered through a straw, Pager is shown playing simple video games. At first, Pager uses a joystick to play, calibrating the Link. Then, when the researchers have him playing Pong, the joystick has been removed, and Pager is playing the game by just thinking where he wants his digital paddle to go.
The surgery to properly implant these chips has to be so precise that it is done entirely by a machine specifically built for it. The Neuralinks work by first recording electrode signals made within the motor cortex of the brain, which coordinates hand and arm movement. By tracking this activity and then feeding it to a decoder algorithm, the Links are able to predict someone’s intended hand movements in real time. Once calibrated, the output from the decoder is able to move the cursor on a screen, without needing a controller. It can even be calibrated by just imagining hand movements to targets. It can also be used simply by pairing it to an iPhone.
Lastly, technologies always change our life from gaming to making life easier, this technology can help people with disabilities to control their devices and can change the gaming world, however, the main concern for Neuralink is its chip’s vulnerability to hacks and malicious attacks. This particular problem will be a massive cause of concern for its users and the company because of ‘digital death, will we see improvement in our world with no vulnerability that help humans? Hopefully.
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