Apple is partnering with a neurotechnology startup to allow users to control their Apple devices using brain signals later this year, reports The Wall Street Journal.
“This marks a defining moment for human-device interaction. BCI is more than an accessibility tool, it’s a next-generation interface layer,” said Dr. Tom Oxley, CEO and Co-Founder, Synchron. “Apple is helping to pioneer a new interface paradigm, where brain signals are formally recognized alongside touch, voice and typing. With BCI recognized as a native input for Apple devices, there are new possibilities for people living with paralysis and beyond.”
Synchron is a neurotechnology startup that which makes a stent-like device that is implanted in a vein atop the brain’s motor cortex. The implantable brain-computer interface (BCI) device is called the Stentrode and has electrodes that read brain signals. It translates the signals into selecting icons on a screen. The device contains 16 electrodes that can detect motor-related brain activity with no need for invasive open-brain surgery.
This allows users with severe motor impairments, such as those caused by amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), to control iPhones, iPads, and other Apple devices using neural signals detected from within blood vessels located above the brain’s motor cortex.
The Stentrode has been implanted in ten patienrts since 2019, under an investigational device exemption from the FDA. A test participant in Pennsylvania cannot use his arms or hands due to ALS is able to use the Apple Vision Pro and other Apple devices, via thoughts alone. It should be noted that the process is slower than conventional input methods.
“For people who’ve lost nearly all movement, implantable Brain-Computer Interface technology is a breakthrough full of possibility,” said Blair Casey, CEO of Team Gleason, which supports people living with ALS in accessing and advancing technology. “Today’s announcement represents a significant advancement in both accessibility and innovation. Apple is not only a global leader in creating accessible products, but in championing new standards for accessibility that improve lives in meaningful ways. This isn’t just about building tools, it’s about redefining what’s possible for people with disabilities.”
Apple is reportedly planning to add support for BCIs into its existing Switch Control accessibility framework, which allows users to perform input from non-standard devices such as joysticks and adaptive hardware. The report says the company is planning to release this new standard later in 2025.
See Synchron’s full press release for more information.
