Musk’s Neuralink seeks volunteer for first brain surgery by robot

Elon Musk’s brain implant company Neuralink is reportedly currently seeking its first volunteer who will be willing to undergo a procedure involving removing a piece of their skull so that a robot can insert electrodes and superthin, hair-like wires into their brain, the Standard reported.

ELON MUSK’S COMPANY, NEURALINK, SEEKS VOLUNTEER

At the end of the procedure, the patient is expected to have a computer the size of a two-pence coin embedded in their head, the publication reported. Elon Musk’s company, Neuralink is based in Fremont, California and is said to be one of many groups working to improve nerve injuries by linking the nervous system to computers with an aim to treat injuries, Fox 5 reported.

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“We are creating the future of brain interfaces: building devices now that will help people with paralysis and inventing new technologies that will expand our abilities, our community, and our world,” the organisation said.

 “The first humans to receive the chips would be people with severe spinal cord injuries as Paraplegia, Tetraplegics and Quadriplegics,” the organisation added.

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MORE ABOUT THE SOUGHT VOLUNTEERS

According to Bloomberg, Neuralink’s ideal candidate is a quadriplegic (a person affected by paralysis of all four limbs), and should ideally be under the age of 40. The volunteer is expected to undergo a brain procedure that involves implanting the chip, which has 1 000 electrodes.

After a surgeon removes a part of the skull, a robot named R1 which will be equipped with cameras, sensors and a needle will perform the procedure. R1 is also said to have already performed numerous experimental surgeries on various animals such as pigs, sheep, and more. At this point, it is unclear whether or not Neuralink is planning on paying the volunteers, the New York Post reported.

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