According to reports released by Synchron, a company that builds brain implants to facilitate the interface between humans and computers, billionaires Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos may be teaming up as major investors in this type of technology.
These days, the industry revolves around external peripherals like touchscreens, Xbox controllers and keyboards. Furthermore, Synchron’s technology revolves around improve accessibility for people with limited or impaired mobility. The CNBC report describes how Synchron’s “Switch” technology is seamlessly implanted through blood vessels, allowing patients to interact with their devices using only their thoughts.
The report says that so far only 7 patients in the United States and Australia have tested the technology, and so far, the results appear to have been promising.
Synchron has just announced a round of $75 million financing which counts the venture firms of Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos among those offering initial investment. Synchron described its technology as more “scalable” than competitors such as Neuralink, developed by Elon Musk’s company. The Synchron antenna can be installed through a stent, which is a commonly used surgical procedure and installed through arteries and veins.
The technology might be revolutionary for patients with conditions like ALS or full-body paralysis.
However, the market attracts a lot of criticism, such as Musk’s Neuralink, which is being investigated for mistreatment of animals, as monkeys are being subjected to extreme suffering. In the case of Synchron, there is support from the respected medical journal JAMA Neurology, which argues that the technology methodology is safe and does not degrade quality following a period of 12 months.
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