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With the help of a brain implant, a patient suffering from a degenerative disease has been able to control Amazon’s Alexa digital assistant with his mind. Announcing the news on Monday, the company behind the tech innovation said it allowed him to stream shows and control the device with just his thoughts.
Brain-computer interface company Synchron said an implant placed in a blood vessel on the surface of the 64-year-old man’s brain enabled him to mentally “tap” icons on an Amazon Fire tablet.
According to the New York-based company, the patient suffers from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). ALS is a degenerative nerve disease that causes muscle weakness and paralysis.
However, the company said that with the help of this implant, he was able to make video calls, play music, watch shows, control smart home devices like lights, shop online and read books by giving instructions to Alexa with his mind.
“Being able to manage important aspects of my environment and control access to entertainment has given me back the independence I had been losing,” the patient, whose name is Mark, said in a release.
The demonstration was intended to show how customers can use their thoughts to operate smart homes equipped with Alexa-compatible devices, including door cameras, plugs and thermostats, the company said.
“While many smart home systems rely on voice or touch, we’re sending control signals directly from the brain,” said Tom Oxley, Synchron’s founder and CEO, in the release.
“Patients can interact with devices in their home without voice, using just their thoughts,” he said.
Elon Musk’s Neuralink
Many companies, including Elon Musk’s Neuralink, are working on connecting the brain to the computer.
In January, Neuralink performed a brain transplant in a man paralyzed after a diving accident. Musk, who also owns Tesla and X, called the transplant a success.
In July, he said his startup was “moving” toward a second test patient as his technology improves.
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