Apple is working on a system that will allow you to control your iPhone with the power of your mind
Apple, in collaboration with neurotechnology startup Synchron, is working on a brain-computer interface (BCI) that will allow the iPhone, iPad and other Apple devices to be controlled using brain signals. It is expected that the launch of the new technology will take place already this year, informs The Wall Street Journal.
The development is based on Synchron’s Stentrode implantable device, which enables people with severe movement disorders, including those with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), to control Apple technology through neural signals. The device is inserted through the jugular vein into a vessel located above the motor cortex of the brain and contains 16 electrodes that read signals related to motor activity. Intervention in the brain itself is not required, and the signals are converted into digital commands.
Since 2019, Synchron has implanted the Stentrode in ten patients after receiving approval from the FDA to conduct clinical trials. One participant, an ALS patient from Pennsylvania, can’t use his hands, but uses the device to control the Apple Vision Pro and other Apple devices using only his thoughts.
Apple plans to integrate this technology into its own Switch Control system, which supports control using alternative interfaces such as joysticks. Synchron’s technology is different from the developments of competitors, in particular Neuralink. The Neuralink N1 implant is implanted directly into the brain tissue, contains more than a thousand electrodes and provides more precise control, including cursor movement and text input. At the same time, Stentrode is less invasive, which makes it easier to use.
