Only With Mind! This Paralyzed Man Controls Apple Vision Pro Without Touch

JAKARTA - A technological breakthrough shows that Apple Vision Pro devices can now be controlled solely with the mind. This happens thanks to a brain implant from Synchron startup.

Apple has been known for its various device control methods ranging from touch, sound, to head movements. However, Apple continues to explore new interfaces, and is now developing technology that allows a person to control the device with only his mind.

In a Wall Street Journal report released Tuesday, May 13, it was revealed that Apple is working with Synchron, the company that developed a Stentrode 'brain-computer interface implant (BCI). This device is shaped like a stent placed in a blood vessel in the brain's motor cortex. The electrodes embedded in this device read electrical signals from the brain.

These signals are then translated to detect user intentions, which are then sent to devices such as the Apple Vision Pro and translated into commands, for example to drive the cursor on the screen.

One of the early users of this technology was Mark Jackson, an ALS (amyotropic lateral sclerosis) patient who was no longer able to move his body normally. Through the implants of Stentrode and Vision Pro, he can feel a sensation like being in the mountains of the Swiss Alps even though he is at his home in Pittsburgh.

This technology offers great hope for those who experience severe paralysis or disease like ALS. By not being able to move their hands or fingers, this technology allows them to keep controlling digital devices through their minds.

Apple uses the Switch Control feature in its operating system to interpret signals from the brain as an order such as using joysticks.

However, Jackson warns that this technology is still very early and has many challenges. Although it can drive the cursor, its speed and response are still far below users who use fingers or direct touch.

In addition, the process of developing and testing this technology is still relatively slow. Since 2019, only ten people have received Stentrode implants. For comparison, Neuralink's competitors in the same field have developed N1 implants with more than 1,000 electrodes directly implanted in the brain, compared to the STentrode which only has 16 electrodes and does not directly penetrate the brain.

Even so, progress remains visible. In 2022, the Synchron Switch tool was successfully used to send one-word text messages via the iPad. And in September 2024, Synchron celebrated a year of successful use of thetentrode in some patients without serious side effects.

Although still far from perfect, this first step opens up great potential for the future of brain-computer interfaces, especially for users with severe physical limitations.