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Apple is working on a new interface between humans and machines. It's not about a new app or a camera upgrade, but rather about controlling devices directly with the brain. What sounds like a futuristic vision has long since become reality – and Apple is on board. The company is planning a collaboration with the neurotechnology startup Synchron to enable thought-based control of iPhones, iPads, and other devices.
Apple plans to introduce a new standard by 2025 that will allow you to operate your devices using brain signals. The technology is initially aimed at people with motor disabilities, but could eventually create new possibilities for all users. The technical basis for this is a small implant that works without open brain surgery.
Apple cooperates with Synchron
At the heart of the project is the collaboration between Apple and the US company Synchron. Synchron develops brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) and has developed a device called the Stentrode. This is an implantable interface that receives neural signals from the brain and converts them into digital commands. It is not inserted directly into the brain tissue, but rather via the jugular vein into a blood vessel above the motor cortex. Open brain surgery is not necessary. The Stentrode contains 16 electrodes and lies on the surface of the brain. It measures motor activity there and transmits the data. These signals are then translated into control commands that you can use to operate an iPhone or the Apple Vision Pro, for example.
First tests successful
Synchron has already implanted the Stentrode in ten patients. Tests have been ongoing since 2019 under an exemption from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). A particularly striking example is a patient with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in Pennsylvania. He can't move his hands or arms, but is able to operate Apple devices solely by thought. The operation is slower than with conventional input methods, but it works.
Integration into the Apple system
Apple plans to integrate the new technology into the existing Switch Control Framework, as reported by The Wall Street Journal . This accessibility feature already allows for alternative input devices such as joysticks or special keyboards. In the future, BCIs such as the Stentrode will also be supported. Apple plans to introduce the new standard by the end of 2025. Apple already took a similar approach in 2014, when the company introduced the "Made for iPhone" hearing aid protocol as the standard for wireless communication between Apple devices and hearing aids. Apple also apparently wants to establish an industry standard for brain-computer interfaces.
Differences to other providers
Apple isn't the only company working on brain control. Elon Musk's company Neuralink is also developing its own BCI system. Unlike Synchron, however, Neuralink relies on a more invasive procedure. Neuralink's device – called the N1 – is implanted directly into the brain tissue and contains more than 1,000 electrodes. This allows it to capture significantly more detailed neural data. This allows for more complex controls such as moving a mouse cursor or typing text through mental intent alone. However, the procedure is significantly more complex and risky than Synchron's stentrode.
Apple opens the door to mind control
With its planned support for brain interfaces, Apple is taking another step toward accessibility and new forms of human-technology interaction. The initial focus is on users with motor impairments, but the underlying technology could have far-reaching long-term implications for the general operation of devices. If all goes according to plan, Apple will integrate the first official interfaces for BCIs into its operating systems this year—thus ushering in a new era of device operation. (Image: Shutterstock / kovop)
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