The number of clinical trials using brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) is on the rise, with around 25 now ongoing worldwide and several companies actively recruiting volunteers.
Those developing BCIs include three firms backed by Elon Musk, along with others based in China and New York.
The hope is that the field can progress from demonstrations to breakout products in the next five to 10 years.
Among the companies using BCIs, New York’s Synchron has so far implanted 10 volunteers with a “stentrode” that is inserted into a brain vessel via a vein in the neck, collecting brain signals to produce a basic on/off control signal, while helping users toggle through software menus or select among prewritten messages.