Neuralink just hit its 100-day mark since the first participant in its clinical trial got his implant.
Elon Musk, who is pleased with the progress being made, dubbed the milestone a success.
Neuralink remarked at the onset of its report that approximately 180,000 Americans currently live with quadriplegia, and each year, roughly 18,000 experience a paralyzing spinal cord injury.
The company outlined that its objective is to offer a high-performance interface that empowers individuals with quadriplegia to better control digital devices, thereby unlocking their personal and professional potential.
Resist The Mainstream reported earlier this year on the first man to receive a Neuralink implant after he successfully wrote and sent the first ever post on X that was written using only the human mind.
The quadriplegic participant, Noland Arbaugh, 29, wrote, “Twitter banned me because they thought I was a bot, @X and [Elon Musk] reinstated me because I am.”
Neuralink shared more information on Arbaugh in its latest update, highlighting that prior to “the link” the participant’s primary digital interface was a mouth-held tablet stylus, commonly known as a mouth stick.
The stylus required assistance from a caregiver to position, and could only be used in an upright position to interact with a tablet.
“The biggest thing with comfort is that I can lie in my bed and use [the Link]. Any other assistive technology had to have someone else help or have me sit up.” Arbaugh said.
“Sitting causes stress mentally and on my body which would give me pressure sores or spasms. It lets me live on my own time, not needing to have someone adjust me, etc. throughout the day,” he added.
“[The Link] has helped me reconnect with the world, my friends, and my family. It’s given me the ability to do things on my own again without needing my family at all hours of the day and night,” he continued.
Neuralink stated that Arbaugh dedicates up to 8 hours per day to research sessions during the week. However, on weekends, his personal use and recreation with the device can extend to over 10 hours per day.
A recent analysis showed Arbaugh utilized the device for a total of 69 hours, comprising 35 hours of structured sessions and an additional 34 hours for personal use.
“I thought that the mouth stick was a lot better than BCI a month ago, when we compared them I saw that BCI was just as good if not better and it’s still improving; the games I can play now are leaps and bounds better than previous ones,” Arbaugh said.
“I’m beating my friends in games that as a quadriplegic I should not be beating them in,” he joked.
A video of Arbaugh went viral after he showcased his use of the device to play chess digitally during a Neuralink livestream on X. “It was like using the force,” he recounted.
“I’m paralyzed from below the shoulders. I have no sensation or movement below my level of injury, so below my shoulders,” Arbaugh said in the livestream.
Arbaugh shared that he loved playing chess but hasn’t been able to since his accident, explaining, “Now it’s all being done with my brain. You can see the cursor moving around the screen, that’s all me.”
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