Synchron’s Brain-Computer Interface Now Has Nvidia’s AI
The partnership between the company and Nvidia aims to create cognitive AI for individuals with severe physical disabilities. This technology will enable more natural interactions with the surrounding environment. The goal is to enhance the quality of life for those with disabilities. By leveraging Nvidia's expertise, the company is working towards innovative solutions in this field. This collaboration highlights the potential for AI to positively impact individuals with disabilities.
Synchron's Latest Brain-Computer Interface
Neurotech company Synchron has unveiled the latest version of its brain-computer interface, which uses Nvidia technology and the Apple Vision Pro to enable individuals with paralysis to control digital and physical environments with their thoughts.
In a video demonstration at the Nvidia GTC conference this week in San Jose, California, Synchron showed off how its system allows one of its trial participants, Rodney Gorham, who is paralyzed, to control multiple devices in his home.
From his sun-filled living room in Melbourne, Australia, Gorham is able to play music from a smart speaker, adjust the lighting, turn on a fan, activate an automatic pet feeder, and run a robotic vacuum.
Gorham has lost the use of his voice and much of his body due to having amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS. The degenerative disease weakens muscles over time and eventually leads to paralysis. He received Synchron’s implantable brain-computer interface, or BCI, in 2020. He could initially use his BCI to type on a computer, iPhone, and iPad.
Synchron's Collaboration with Nvidia
BCIs decode signals from brain activity and translate them into commands on an output device. To improve the speed and accuracy of decoding, Synchron is using Nvidia’s Holoscan, an AI sensor-processing platform. Faster and more accurate decoding would mean a shorter delay between a user’s intended movement and the time it takes for a BCI system to execute a command, plus more precise control.
Excitement for BCIs has been building in recent years as Elon Musk’s Neuralink and other companies have emerged to commercialize what was once clunky technology used in academic labs into practical assistive devices. Though they’re still experimental, implantable BCIs are showing promise at restoring some lost functionalities to people with paralysis.
Synchron's Vision for BCI
Synchron is aiming to build a BCI system able to seamlessly perform a wide range of tasks in the home environment. Tom Oxley, Synchron’s CEO, stated in an exclusive interview with WIRED that the system runs in real time, in a real environment 24/7, making predictions where context really matters.
To achieve its vision of cognitive AI, Synchron plans to use brain data from its current and future trial participants to build an AI model. Maryam Shanechi, a BCI researcher at the University of Southern California, believes a brain foundation model could improve the accuracy of Synchron’s BCI and allow it to perform a more diverse set of functions without having to collect hours of training data from individual patients.
Challenges and Future Directions
Synchron's goal of creating cognitive AI is ambitious and comes with risks. Nita Farahany, a professor of law and philosophy at Duke University, raises concerns about the autonomy of the user and the potential implications of advanced AI models in BCIs.
Oxley acknowledges these concerns and emphasizes the importance of maintaining user control over the output of the BCI system. He recognizes the need for safeguards, such as an override option or a "kill switch," to ensure user safety and autonomy.