ALS Sufferers Use IPad Only With Mind, Thanks To Apple And Synchron Technology

Mark Jackson, a sufferer of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), managed to control the iPad only with his mind. (photo: x @itDfeed)

JAKARTA A major breakthrough in the world of technology and medical was successfully demonstrated by medical company Synchron, in collaboration with Apple. A patient named Mark Jackson, a sufferer of amyotropic lateral sclerosis (ALS), managed to control the iPad only with his mind.

Jackson, who was completely unable to use his hands because of ALS, used a device called STentrode, a device such as a stent implanted in the blood vessels of the brain in the motor cortex area. This device is capable of capturing motor signals from the brain and sending them to the iPad via Apple's BCI HID (Brain-Computer Interface Human Interface Device) protocol.

This technology allows Jackson to open apps and use them in full without physical touch at all.

"When I lost my hand function, I thought I had lost my independence," Jackson said, quoted by VOI from Apple Insider. Now, with my iPad, I can send messages to loved ones, read news, and stay connected to the world, just by thinking.

Synchron CEO and founder, Dr. Tom Oxley, called this a historic moment. This is the first time the world has seen the original control of Apple devices through mind. This is a technical breakthrough and an overview of the future of human interaction with computers, where cognitive input is a common control method," Oxley said.

Although Synchron has previously demonstrated the use of the iPad with a mind in 2022, at that time the system only allowed the delivery of single words. Now, the same device shows full control over the iPad, is a testament to the rapid advancement of this technology.

The system works by leveraging Apple's Switch Control accessibility features, as well as the BCI HID protocol launched in May 2025. The protocol is in the form of an open API that developers can use to integrate mind-based controls into various other Apple applications and devices, including the iPhone and Vision Pro.

"This technology has brought some of my life back," Jackson said with emotion.

ALS, or better known as Lou Gehrig's disease, is a rare condition that attacks motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord. A number of well-known figures suffering from this disease include scientist Stephen Hawking, singer Roberta Flack, and actor Kenneth Mitchell from the Star Trek: Discovery series.

Apple has been working with Synchron since the last few years. In 2024, Synchron announced that their Stentrode system has reached one year of use without serious side effects on patients using it.

This discovery is not only a new hope for ALS sufferers, but also opens the way for a new era of human interaction and technology, where thoughts can be the main controller of digital devices.