In big accessibility news, Synchron announced that it has successfully connected its brain implant to Apple Vision Pro Headphones. This means that people with limited mobility can now control their headphones with just their thoughts.
Synchron conducted an initial test on a 64-year-old man with ALS who played Solitaire, watched Apple TV, and sent text messages hands-free — using Synchron’s implant. The man, Synchron explained in a press releaseotherwise he would not be able to use the headset because the loss of upper limb function meant he could not make the hand gestures required to use the Vision Pro.
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Synchron’s brain-computer interface, or BCI, has been implanted in at least six US patients. The device is inserted through the jugular vein and guided to blood vessels on the surface of the brain, meaning no surgery is required. An antenna is placed under the skin of the wearer’s chest.
While this is an incredible feat, the implications for the future are even greater. Entirely new areas of technology will open up for millions of people who are unable to use their limbs or their voices.
“Using this type of augmented reality has had a huge impact,” said Mark, the man who received the implant, “and I can imagine it will have the same impact on other people in my situation or who have lost the ability to participate in everyday life.”
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Tom Oxley, CEO & Founder of Synchron, outlined how the technology could connect people with injuries or illnesses to today’s rapidly changing technology. “This is a critical unmet need,” he said, “for millions of people with paralysis.”
If this development is rolled out further, it could also mean a boost for VR and AR headsets. The Vision Pro has struggled to gain a foothold (probably because of its price), but it could find more customers if it offered more accessibility features and more life-changing apps.
Talk to CNBCOxley said his company may integrate the technology into other types of headphones over time.
