New York-based Synchron, a brain-computer interface (BCI) company, announced it will be the first BCI company to reach native integration with Apple’s new BCI Human Interface Device (BCI HID) profile unveiled on May 13.
To avoid open brain surgery, Synchron uses a minimally invasive endovascular procedure, not unlike the placement of cardiovascular stents. Neural signals are captured by Synchron’s Stentrode BCI implant.
The company’s technology is intended to allow one to control digital devices, like an iPhone, iPad and Apple Vision Pro, using their thoughts.
Apple’s BCI HID profile recognizes neural interfaces as a native input category. The companies say their partnership will allow voice-free and hands-free digital access to individuals with motor impairment, including ALS, stroke and spinal cord injury.
Synchron’s BCI system will work with Apple’s built-in accessibility features, including Switch Control, giving users a way to use their devices with neurotechnology, building the groundwork for a new generation of cognitive input technologies.
Contrary to traditional assistive devices that copy hardware inputs, a BCI HID can permit bidirectional communication between the BCI and the device.
The closed-loop system can swap contextual information, such as screen layout and UI elements, to improve decoding accuracy and user experience.
“This marks a defining moment for human-device interaction. BCI is more than an accessibility tool, it’s a next-generation interface layer,” Tom Oxley, CEO and cofounder of Synchron, said in a statement.
“Apple is helping to pioneer a new interface paradigm, where brain signals are formally recognized alongside touch, voice and typing. With BCI recognized as a native input for Apple devices, there are new possibilities for people living with paralysis and beyond.”
THE LARGER TREND
In March, Synchron announced Chiral, a foundation model of human cognition. Chiral moves BCI from supervised to self-supervised learning, increasing the transition by combining large-scale neural data with advanced NVIDIA AI-powered computing.
In January, Synchron leveraged the NVIDIA Holoscan platform to advance a next-generation implantable BCI in two domains.
First, to enhance real-time edge AI capabilities for on-device neural processing, improving signal processing and multi-AI inference technology. Second, to explore the development of an innovative foundation model for brain inference.
That same month, Synchron announced an expanded partnership with Team Gleason, a foundation dedicated to improving the lives of people living with ALS, to raise awareness of Synchron’s BCI Community.
Through the partnership, Team Gleason will support the BCI Community initiative by sharing information via newsletters, support groups and social media channels to inform community members and care partners about accelerating the development of solutions like Synchron’s brain-computer interface technology.
In 2022, Synchron secured an oversubscribed $75 million Series C funding round, bringing its total raise at the time to $145 million.
ARCH Venture Partners led the round, with additional investment from Bezos Expeditions, Greenoaks, Alumni Ventures, Moore Strategic Ventures, Gates Frontier, Project X and Reliance Digital Health Limited.
Another company in the brain implant space is Elon Musk’s Neuralink.
Earlier this month, Neuralink announced it had successfully implanted its brain-computer interface into Brad Smith, who has ALS and is completely non-verbal, allowing him to communicate using telepathy.
Smith released a video on X about his experience with Neuralink and how it works. The video is narrated using an AI-generated replica of Smith’s voice cloned from past recordings, and Smith uses the BCI to control the mouse on his MacBook Pro to perform the narration.
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