In a weblog publish on Wednesday, Neuralink stated 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 wire harm. PCMag studies: Like the primary Neuralink affected person, Noland Arbaugh, Alex has additionally been utilizing the mind chip to play his favourite laptop video games, equivalent to Counter-Strike 2. Earlier than, Alex had to make use of a mouth-operated controller, known as a QuadStick, to play the first-person shooter. However even then, the controller restricted him to solely transferring or aiming his weapon at a single time, by no means concurrently like a standard Counter-Strike participant. In different phrases, Alex needed to primarily swap forwards and backwards between the mouse and keyboard features whereas enjoying the sport. However because of Neuralink, he can now purpose with the implant, and concurrently transfer whereas utilizing the QuadStick. […]
Within the weblog publish, Neuralink additionally addressed an issue the corporate confronted when inserting the chip in Arbaugh, the primary affected person. Regardless of a profitable surgical procedure, about 85% of the thread-based electrodes connected to his mind later grew to become 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 decreasing the possibility of an air pocket forming throughout surgical procedure and inserting the implant deeper into the mind tissue. “Promisingly, we’ve got noticed no thread retraction in our second participant,” the corporate stated 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 boost the controls on the expertise “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 stated. You’ll be able to watch Alex enjoying Counter-Strike 2 on YouTube.
