How Can Computers Detect & Operate on Human Thoughts? A Deep Dive into Neuralink's Tech: Telepathy Product and Future Iterations

Soon, AI will be integrated into every aspect of our work and life.

But are we really ready for this shift?

Right now, our ability to communicate is limited by how quickly we can move our thumbs to type or speak. In contrast, computers can communicate information at incredible speeds.

Imagine a world where computers can read our thoughts and act on them? Bring light to people who have been living in darkness for decades? Help people who previously could not move their hands because of injury, using the power of their minds to communicate with the computer? Monitor brain activity for changes in neurological disorders?

This is the groundbreaking work that Neuralink is undertaking. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at how Neuralink functions and explore their latest developments.

Threads

Neuralink aims to make its engineering products highly accessible, and capable of accessing different brain regions. They have developed a specialized method for producing neural probes using biocompatible thin-film materials. Each thin-film array consists of a “thread” section that includes electrode contacts and traces, along with a “sensor” section where the thin film connects to custom chips for signal amplification and data acquisition.

Robot

To make the technology highly scalable, Neuralink has developed a robotic insertion method that enables the quick and reliable insertion of multiple polymer probes while strategically avoiding blood vessels and targeting various brain regions. The robot's insertion head is mounted on a highly precise three-axis stage with a travel range of 400 × 400 × 150 mm and a resolution of 10 μm.

Insertion process into an agarose brain proxy

The needle is crafted from tungsten-rhenium wire with an initial diameter of 40 μm, which is electrochemically etched down to 24 μm along the length that is inserted. Its tip is designed to engage with insertion loops for transporting and inserting individual threads while penetrating the meninges and brain tissue. A linear motor drives the needle, allowing for adjustable insertion speeds and rapid retraction acceleration (up to 30,000 mm/s2) to facilitate the separation of the probe from the needle.

Robotic Electrode Inserter

The inserter head is equipped with an imaging stack that aids in guiding the needle into the thread loop, ensuring accurate targeting for insertion, providing real-time viewing of the process, and verifying the insertion. It also features 6 independent light modules, each capable of emitting light at 405 nm, 525 nm, and 650 nm, or white light. The 405-nm light excites fluorescence from polyimide, enabling the optical stack and computer vision to accurately locate the 16 × 50 μm2 thread loop and perform submicron visual servoing to guide the needle through it, illuminated by the 650 nm light. Additionally, their neural decoding software translates brain signals into useful outputs.

I referred to Elon Musk's posts on X, Musk’s research paper, and Neuralink 's blogs to gather specific details about the mechanics of their foundational technology. I want to share their latest advancements and what they have achieved with this technology.

Their first product, Telepathy, aims to create a generalized brain interface to restore autonomy for those with unmet medical needs. A person with a Neuralink implant will be able to control a phone using only their thoughts—no eye tracking involved, purely thought-based. Noland Arbaugh, the first person to receive an implant after suffering a spinal cord injury in 2016, is now using his thoughts to operate a laptop and phone. Remarkably, he even surpassed the previous world record for cursor control, achieving twice the previous record using his thoughts.

Risk mitigation for the future

To mitigate risks, it is essential to control the size of the gap under the implant. The threads that travel from the implant into the brain should be designed to minimize the gap, ensuring that the bottom of the implant sits flush with the contour of the inner side of the skull. This adjustment will bring the implant closer to the brain, reduce tension on the threads, and minimize the tendency for the threads to retract from the brain.

Inserting Threads Deeper

Neuralink plans to broaden the range of depths at which they insert threads. Now that they understand retraction is a possibility, they will insert threads at various depths. This approach ensures that, even in cases with differing amounts of retracting threads, electrodes will be positioned at the appropriate depths. The deepest threads will allow for tracking how much retraction has occurred across the surface of the brain from each thread, providing more data on the extent of retraction. Controlling the individual Z depth per thread is a feature that most neural interface devices do not offer; most devices utilize a static, fixed, rigid array where all electrodes are positioned at a single depth.

Next Product: Blindsight

This device assists people who have lost the connection between their brain and body. Their second product, Blindsight, enables individuals who have completely lost their eyesight or their optic nerve to regain some visual perception. It can even offer enhanced functionality that far exceeds normal human capabilities.

About Me

Zebo Furqatzoda is a graduate of United World College Singapore and Yale Young Global Scholars, and she is currently pursuing her studies at New York University. She is delving into learning more about and engaging in real-world projects in industries she believes will shape the future, including AI, neurotech, connectomics, and longevity. Previously, Zebo was the Chief Organizer of TEDx Singapore and Slush'D Middle East. She also founded Writerama, a social enterprise focused on mental health, and PrepPeer, an edtech platform designed to assist high school students applying to college.