SAN FRANCISCO, SEPT 17 – A patient suffering from a degenerative disease can control Amazon’s Alexa digital assistant with his mind, the company behind the technological innovation announced yesterday, allowing him to stream shows and control the device with just his mind.
An implant in a blood vessel on the surface of the 64-year-old’s brain allows him to press icons using his mind on the Amazon Fire tablet, said brain-computer interface company Synchron.
According to the New York-based company, the patient is suffering from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), able to make video calls, play music, stream shows, control smart home devices such as lights; shop online and read books by using his mind to direct Alexa.
ALS is a degenerative neurological disease that leads to muscle weakness and paralysis.
“To be able to manage important aspects of my environment and control access to entertainment gives me back my freedom,” the patient, named as Mark, said in a statement.
The test aims to show how customers can use their minds to control smart homes with Alexa-compatible devices such as door cameras, switches and thermostats, according to the company.
“While many smart home systems rely on voice or touch, we send control signals directly from the brain,” Synchron Founder and Chief Executive Tom Oxley said in the release.
“Patients can interact with devices at home with their hands and voice-free, that is, using only their thoughts,” he added.
Several companies, including Elon Musk’s Neuralink, are working to connect brains with computers.
Last January, Neuralink installed a brain implant in a man who was paralyzed after a diving accident. Musk, who also owns Tesla and X, described the implant as a success. – AFP
