Apple and Synchron are cooking up a little mind control
A year or so ago I wrote about a company called Synchron, which was developing a system to let you control Vision Pro devices with your mind.
Apple has now begun working with the company, opening the door toward the kind of human-computer brain interface once imagined by original Macintosh inventor, Jef Raskin, though it does require an implant of a device.
The partnership also means Apple has entered a space also occupied by Neuralink
Mind control, Tim
Apple and Synchron are collaborating on s brain-computer interface (BCI), and it seems development is advancing rapidly, given Apple intends making it available to developers later this year. It also seems to have gotten even more interesting, with reports telling us the system will let people control their iPhones, not just Vision Pro.
What this consists of is a BCI device that is implanted in a person’s body. It goes in via the jugular vein and is positioned in a blood vessel near the brain’s motor cortex. Once it is in place, users can navigate and operate digital devices entirely through neural activity, which means they won’t need to type, swipe, or tap.
“We are sending control signals directly from the brain to replace the need for hand gestures,” said Tom Oxley, CEO & Founder, Synchron, explaining the system last year.
Coming with iOS 19 this fall
Apple has said it will introduce support for the Synchron device later this year when it gives it the power to navigate Switch Control using the BCI, which means people will be able to control devices with no physical movement.
Synchron has also managed to get the US FDA to recognize its solution as a breakthrough, which means the regulator recognizes the immense value it could offer to people. The FDA sees that the device could and probably will transform the lives of people who have conditions which make it hard or impossible for them to move or speak. Damaged spinal cords, stroke survivors, ALS sufferers may all find it of great value.
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