Earlier this month, I saw an NFT (non-fungible token) for sale that caught my eye.
The NFT in question is a piece of art created by someone’s brain waves:
Source: Twitter.com
The artist, Nathan Copeland, is the first-ever human to have electrodes implanted in the sensory cortex of his brain. He has worked with the University of Pittsburgh since 2014, which is now in collaboration with the private company Blackrock Neurotech.
Nathan, who was paralyzed in a car accident from the chest down in 2004, can use just his brain to illustrate images…
And that’s just a preview of what he can do…
Using a brain-computer interface (BCI) — a direct connection between the brain’s electrical activity and an external device — Nathan can control a growing number of things…
For example, researchers at the University of Pittsburgh designed a robotic arm that Nathan can control with his mind. Nathan has very little control of his own arms. The remote robotic arm can perform many tasks to assist him in daily activities.
But there’s more…
Just as Nathan can instruct the robotic arm to move in certain ways, the arm itself can send back sensory information to Nathan’s brain. This allows Nathan to actually “feel” what the arm is touching.
When asked what he feels, he said:
“I have two implants in the somatosensory cortex. The sensations really depend–they range from pressure, tingling, warmth, vibration, sometimes tapping. The sensations are at the base of my fingers, near my palms, or the knuckle.”
When touching something, you and I may take shape, temperature and surface materials for granted, but it’s an extremely important part of how we make decisions about the world around us.
With the use of the BCI, Nathan’s brain is working with the foreign non-human robotic arm as if he is a cyborg. He even has a video playlist on YouTube called “My Cyborg Adventure” if you want to see how it all works in depth.
While a BCI can obviously help a person with limited physical mobility, you can let your mind run wild with the future possibilities for anyone who wants to connect their brain to a computer…
Elon Musk Is Already All in
Of course, Elon Musk has jumped on this idea with his company Neuralink…
And the company is about to get serious…
Neuralink just posted a job for Clinical Trial Director, which indicates that the company is preparing to start FDA clinical trials for its BCI device.
Musk has previously stated that Neuralink will first approach challenges such as paralysis, although there are much bigger plans.
For example, Neuralink has already released videos of monkeys playing video games with just their minds.
Source: Twitter.com
Imagine if your brain could instantaneously communicate with a high-powered computer to complete tasks and feed you information.
I probably could have written this entire article in a couple minutes by simply allowing my brain to work in tandem with a computer. The computer could articulate my thoughts into writing and provide relevant research (like all the links in this article and screenshots of tweets) to drive home my point.
The speed and accuracy of human-produced work could increase exponentially… to a point that is impossible to comprehend.
7 Private Companies Working on BCI Tech
So what companies are working on BCIs?
- Neuralink: Neuralink is “building devices now that will help people with paralysis and inventing new technologies that will expand our abilities, our community, and our world.”
- Paradromics: “Paradromics is bringing to market the first high data rate interface between brains and computers to create a new industry where medical challenges are met with technical solutions.”
- Neurable: Neurable is “focused on bringing technology from the lab into the real world, so that neurotechnology is simple and accessible enough to use in your everyday life.”
- Blackrock Neurotech: “Blackrock Neurotech provides innovative tools and neurotech expertise to translate technology into novel, implantable clinical solutions that improve human lives.”
- Kernel: “Founded in 2016 by Bryan Johnson, Kernel has assembled a world-class team of engineers, neuroscientists, and physicists to create a full-stack neurotech company who are building a platform to realize that brighter future now.”
- NextMind: “The NextMind brain-computer interface decodes neural activity in real time, giving you the ability to control objects using only your mind.”
- EMOTIV: “EMOTIV is a bioinformatics company advancing understanding of the human brain using electroencephalography (EEG). Our mission is to empower individuals to understand their own brain and accelerate brain research globally.”
There are dozens of other startups working on BCIs and similar technologies. However, it’s worth noting that at this time there are currently 34 people around the world that have BCIs implanted in their brain. 31 of those people use Blackrock Neurotech technology.
BCI technology is a trend in its infancy and one that will likely change dramatically in the coming years. It’s the perfect convergence of technology and healthcare… and it can truly change the lives of many like Nathan.
It’s a trend as private investors we’ll need to pay attention to. I’ll be on the lookout for more opportunities in this space in the coming weeks and months.
On the date of publication, Cody Shirk owns a stake in Blackrock Neurotech, Paradromics, and Kernel. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer, subject to the InvestorPlace.com Publishing Guidelines.
By focusing on megatrends that will shape the future, Cody Shirk uncovers generational wealth in the private investing space. To make sure you never miss Venture Capital Digest, click here to subscribe.