Apple Is Developing a Brain-Computer Interface

Apple is in the early stages of developing brain-computer interfaces that would allow people, especially those with mobility issues, to control their iPhones, iPads, and Vision Pro headsets with neural signals captured by a new kind of brain implant. 

According to the Wall Street Journal, Apple is partnering with Synchron—a privately held, New York City-based company backed by Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates—on the in project. The brain-computer interface, or BCI, industry is projected to grow significantly over the coming decades. Perhaps the best-known player in the space is Elon Musk’s Neuralink, which, as of January, has successfully implanted its devices in three people.

Historically, most users have relied on both mechanical (through the use of a keyboard or mouse) and behavioral (through the use of touchscreens or voice) interaction with their computers. BCIs eliminate the need for physical movement, expanding device accessibility for people with profound physical impairments. 

Unlike Neuralink’s N1 implant, Synchron’s stent-like device, called the Stentrode, is implanted on top of the brain, not inside of it, which allows users to avoid an invasive open brain implant procedure. Once placed, the Stentrode works by using its electrodes to read brain signals and translate them into on-screen navigation and icon selection. 

Synchron’s device works with switch control, a pre-existing accessibility feature in Apple’s operating system that allows users to remotely control their Mac with an external adaptive device like a joystick or switch (or now, the Stentrode). Since 2019, Synchron has implanted the Stentrode in 10 people. 

The Journal visited Mark Jackson, a Pittsburgh resident who cannot travel outside his home due to ALS. Jackson tested the Stentrode with an Apple Vision Pro. With the headset on, he was transported to Switzerland, where he peered over the ledge of an alpine peak and felt his legs shake. 

Jackson noted that because he can’t use the Stentrode to mimic moving a cursor with a mouse or a touchscreen with his fingers, navigation using the Stentrode is much slower than typical interaction with a computer or smartphone. It’s also slower than using a computer with Neuralink’s N1, which is able to capture much more brain data than Synchron’s device, which uses many more electrodes than the Stentrode.

These latest developments in BCI technology come in anticipation of full FDA approval for the implants, which, the Journal notes, is not expected for several more years. 

In a press release, Dr. Tom Oxley, the CEO and co-founder of Synchron, praised Apple, saying that the company is “helping to pioneer a new interface paradigm, where brain signals are formally recognized alongside touch, voice, and typing. With BCI recognized as a native input for Apple devices, there are new possibilities for people living with paralysis and beyond.”