A man with ALS now controls Alexa using only his thoughts thanks to a new invention. Synchron, a company that works on brain-computer technology, revealed this on Monday, Sept. 16.
The 64-year-old now uses Alexa to stream shows, operate home gadgets, and shop online all without moving a muscle. How did he do these?
Brain-Computer Interface Enables Thought-Controlled Smart Devices
Without any means of physical effort, an ALS patient was able to control devices with the help of a brain chip. This allows him to access Alexa.
Tom Chaos/Unsplash
This works because a small device was placed on the surface of the man’s brain. According to Interesting Engineering, this device sits in a blood vessel and lets him mentally press buttons on a tablet. This gives him access to Alexa’s many features. It’s the first time brain-computer tech has connected directly to smart home gear, pointing to a promising future for helping people.
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Independence for People with ALS
ALS is a serious disease that weakens muscles over time until someone can’t move at all. For Mark, the person in this trial, this brain tech gave him back some control. By just thinking, he now makes video calls, listens to music, controls the lights, and reads – all things that used to be impossible for him.
Now Mark can do everyday tasks by simply focusing on Alexa. This brings hope to many others with similar conditions. Could this offer them more freedom?
Changing How People Use Smart Homes
This breakthrough shows that people don’t need to use their voice or hands to operate smart devices anymore. The new system connects the brain directly to devices like cameras door locks and lights. For those who have trouble moving this new method could become life-changing.
“To be able to manage important aspects of my environment and control access to entertainment gives me back the independence that I’m losing,” Mark said in a Synchron release.
The BCI Implant: A Simple Surgery
Synchron’s BCI implant goes into your body with a small surgery that doesn’t need big cuts. Doctors put it through the jugular vein and into a blood vessel near the brain part that handles movement. It picks up signals when you want to move and sends them without wires. This tech turns thoughts into actions on screen so users can control devices without moving their bodies.
New Ideas for Brain-Computer Connections
Using technology with the brain interests many scientists. Synchron isn’t the only group working on this. Elon Musk’s Neuralink also does big work in this area. Earlier this year, the company helped a man who couldn’t move after an accident. The chip in his brain let him control a computer using only his thoughts.
Musk often talks about how Neuralink’s brain tech might let people with paralysis control things around them again. In July Neuralink shared that a second person used a brain chip to play the PC game Counter-Strike 2. This shows a future where just thinking could help people interact with tech.
A New Time for Health and Smart Homes
Putting medical tech together with helpers like Alexa might really change health and home life. Tom Oxley the CEO of Synchron said their BCI sends signals from the brain to everyday devices. This gives people control of things in the home without using their voice or hands only with their thoughts.
For those with disabilities, new tech like this could mean better lives and more freedom. Doing things like controlling smart home items could let them engage more with their world in ways that seemed impossible before.
Watch the video below to see how Mark interacts with Alexa—hands-free.
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