N1 Implant, A Groundbreaking Chip?

New inventions and developments seem to appear often which can be quite unbelievable. There's artificial intelligence (AI) that is impacting people's lives in many ways and various fields. The Internet of Things (IoT) making the world more responsive by connecting the digital realm and the real world, enabling devices to communicate with each other to do a variety of tasks. Think about smart homes, and other things that we may have imagined as technological or science fantasies years ago are now becoming a reality. All thanks to evolving technology, innovation, science, and human's insatiable appetite for more discoveries.

Speaking of which, one of the latest technologies in the news that may have stirred some controversy and curiosity is Elon Musk's brain-computer interface (BCI) startup - Neuralink. It has recently been in the news when its N1 chip (they call it 'The Link') was implanted for the first time into a live human's skull. What is it? Let's check it out today.

N1 Implant/Chip

N1 is a major component of Neuralink's BCI (brain-computer interface) technology. Accordingly, it "is a fully implantable, cosmetically invisible device designed to let those with unmet medical needs control a computer or mobile device anywhere they go."¹

It is a small (coin-sized), implantable device that has multiple chips, a wireless battery, and other electronics hermetically sealed within a biocompatible enclosure. It is equipped with as many as 1,024 electrodes on ultra-thin wires, which are used to record electrical activity in the brain and transmit the data wirelessly to an external device for further processing and analysis.²

Skipping the technicalities of the micro-computer device for now, the technology behind it is revolutionary and may hold a promise that it could be able to change lives, especially for the people who according to Elon's own words, "lost their connection between their brain and body"³ (extremely paralyzed individuals) by restoring basic functionality like being able to control a smartphone or computer with their thoughts.

It is said that they can also reach out to any other devices that are linked to their PC or smartphone just by thinking and that is possible, through the first product or software application in the N1 implant called Telepathy.

While the device is still in the experimental stage, and it may take more years for it to be tested and could still face some other challenges before it can become commercially available, the potential to significantly change the lives of people in the future is promising.

Imagine someone who can't even lift a finger or one who cannot talk due to paralysis being able to close the window blinds or shut the door of his house just by thinking about it. Scary as it may seem, the possibilities that the device and technology can bring are enormous.

For a better perspective, here's a video explaining how N1 works. It also covered other existing projects that are similar.

And it doesn't stop there.

Accordingly, Neuralink's second goal with the N1 device is the restoration of vision or eyesight (Bionic Eyes) through the software application that they call Blindsight. The idea for this is to enable those who are vision-impaired the ability to see. As to how they are going to do that, it is detailed in the video below.

According to updates from the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2023, at least 2.2 billion people around the world have vision impairment. So imagine how many would benefit and whose lives will be impacted by such a device if it's going to be successful.

Here's an interesting video related to Bionic Eyes and other information related to it.

Could Neuralink do it?

Nobody can guarantee that but with the rapidly advancing technology and AI, who knows? It will be interesting to see how these will develop.

I would say the technology behind the N1 chip is quite revolutionary. While it is too early to say things and it might be hard to imagine this time, I do hope that in the coming years, it could potentially transform and improve the lives of individuals with paralysis and neurological conditions, and also those who have vision impairment as well as their families or the people around them.