In a weblog put up on Wednesday, Neuralink mentioned its second human recipient is utilizing the mind chip to play Counter-Strike 2 and develop 3D designs in CAD software program. “Alex” was given the mind chip final month to assist restore his autonomy after a spinal twine harm. PCMag experiences: Like the primary Neuralink affected person, Noland Arbaugh, Alex has additionally been utilizing the mind chip to play his favourite pc video games, equivalent to Counter-Strike 2. Earlier than, Alex had to make use of a mouth-operated controller, referred to as a QuadStick, to play the first-person shooter. However even then, the controller restricted him to solely shifting or aiming his weapon at a single time, by no means concurrently like a traditional Counter-Strike participant. In different phrases, Alex needed to primarily change backwards and forwards between the mouse and keyboard capabilities whereas enjoying the sport. However due to Neuralink, he can now intention with the implant, and concurrently transfer whereas utilizing the QuadStick. […]
Within the weblog put up, Neuralink additionally addressed an issue the corporate confronted when putting the chip in Arbaugh, the primary affected person. Regardless of a profitable surgical procedure, about 85% of the thread-based electrodes hooked up to his mind later turned displaced, undermining the total potential of the chip to learn neural indicators. Though Arbaugh can nonetheless use his implant successfully, Neuralink needed to keep away from a repeat with Alex. In response, the corporate developed a number of “mitigations,” which embody lowering the possibility of an air pocket forming throughout surgical procedure and putting the implant deeper into the mind tissue. “Promisingly, we now have noticed no thread retraction in our second participant,” the corporate mentioned of Alex.
Whether or not Alex’s implant outperforms the mind chip in Arbaugh was left unclear. Within the meantime, Neuralink says it is engaged on methods to reinforce the controls on the know-how “to ship full mouse and online game controller performance.” “Moreover, we plan to allow the Hyperlink [brain chip] to work together with the bodily world, permitting customers to feed themselves and transfer extra independently by controlling a robotic arm or their wheelchair,” the corporate mentioned. You possibly can watch Alex enjoying Counter-Strike 2 on YouTube.
