How Apple Vision Pro, iPhone and Co. wants to “let the mind read”

People who only have limited control over their musculoskeletal system due to illness or injury can be increasingly helped by so -called BCIs. Brain-computer interfaces enable computers to control the brain by measuring the activity of neurons using electrodes. There have been amazing progress here in recent years. A well-known provider, the US company Synchron, who has been working on technology for years, would like to work closely with Apple in the future. The idea: devices such as the Vision Pro, the iPhone or the iPad should only be checked completely without contact by thoughts.

Tens of thousands of people help

Like that Wall Street Journal reportsApple is active in the field. BCIS should also be better connected in connection with new functions from the area of ​​accessibility that are intended for iOS 19 and MacOS 16. Apple therefore intends to enable people to control their iPhone via neuronal signals that are captured by a new generation of brain implants. According to Wall Street Journal, this could make Apple devices accessible to tens of thousands of people who (as) can no longer use their hands due to serious spinal cord injuries or diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

The BCI of Synchron is quite special: it is inserted into the brain via a stent and should be so fine that there are significantly fewer overgrades or later signal disorders than with conventional electrodes. “We come to the brain via the blood vessels, via the Jugular vein, and then reach a place called Sinus Sagittalis Superior, which runs on the top of the brain. There we can compensate for signals with a very special electrode arrangement,” said Subgon-Manager Kurt Haggstrom over Heise Online.

New standard for BCI signals

Currently there is still no standardized interfaces to connect BCIs to computers, tablets and smartphones. Apple now wants to cooperate with synchronous. The model is similar developments over ten years ago when Apple had defined a Bluetooth interface for communication between hearing aids and iPhones. Attempts have already been shown how one vision can be controlled by using BCI.

With the synchronous technique, screens can be navigated, selected icons and much more. Apple uses the so-called Switch Control, which already helps people with restricted motor skills to control iPhone and Co.-only in this case the brain is the switch.