Latest news with #TomOxley
Forbes
15-05-2025
- Health
- Forbes
Apple Is Developing Tech So Users Can Control Devices With Only Their Thoughts
Apple is boldly embracing brain-computer interface (BCI) technology to enable users to control its devices using only their thoughts—a novel frontier for the company. Earlier this week, it was announced that the tech giant is working with Synchron, a company that has been pioneering BCI research and work for more than a decade. The company was founded by Dr. Tom Oxley, a neurointerventionalist and technologist. Synchron has developed a stent-like implant that can be inserted using a (relatively) minimally invasive procedure on an individual's motor cortex. The stent was reportedly granted FDA clearance for human trials in 2021, and works to detect brain signals and translate them into software-enabled relays; in the case of an Apple device, the relays can select icons on a iPhone or iPad. The video below shows a user's experience with Synchron's BCI in conjunction with the Apple Vision headset. Apple is working to establish the standards for BCI devices and protocolize what their use could look like across its device landscape. The company is expected to open up the technology and protocols to third-party developers in short order. Among the primary goals of BCI technology is to enable the millions of individuals worldwide that may have limited physical functions to use devices. For example, the World Health Organization reports that globally, over 15 million people are living with spinal cord injuries. Many of these individuals may experience some type of loss of physical or sensory functions over the course of their lifetimes. This is where BCIs can truly make a difference—enabling individuals to control electronic devices purely with their thoughts. In fact, reports indicate that the BCI industry is expected to grow at a CAGR of 9.35% from 2025 to 2030 and has huge potential to become a trillion dollar market within the next decade. Undoubtedly, BCIs have become a popular topic of conversation in recent years, especially due to the significant amount of progress that has been made in the field. Notably, Elon Musk's Neuralink has been especially vocal about its immense success. The company is developing its own BCI technology stack with a visionary goal to 'create a generalized brain interface to restore autonomy to those with unmet medical needs today and unlock human potential tomorrow.' Neuralink especially made waves when it released its 'Monkey MindPong' video (below), which showed a Macaque monkey playing the classic game of Pong and navigating the controller solely with its thoughts. Given that Synchron's interface is a stent-like device, the company has developed a minimally invasive procedure for its insertion. Neuralink has developed its own surgical robot to be able to implant its device with precision. Unsurprisingly, these procedures are incredibly complex and require immense technical proficiency and medical expertise. Therefore, all of this work, despite the promising potential and results, is ultimately dependent on government approval and oversight, pending the clearance of numerous safety and reliability tests. Furthermore, a significant amount of work still needs to be done with regards to the long-term efficacy of this technology as well as its impacts on the physical body. However, if done correctly, millions of individuals stand to potentially benefit from this revolutionary technology.
The Australian
15-05-2025
- Business
- The Australian
Apple partners with Synchron to develop brain-controlled iPhones, iPad and Vision Pro
Australian of the year Neale Daniher has focused the nation on finding a cure for motor neurone disease (MND). That cure has not been found, but if he was physically able Daniher could fly to the US and enter a looming trial using Melbourne developed technology that would enable him to use his brain's thinking power to activate an Apple mobile device to speak, order food, turn on television and much more. It would not cure his MND, but it would make it easier to live with. Australia has pioneered a fundamental shift from using the keyboard and mouse to using mobile phones and computers to direct thought-generated messages from the brain. It is set to rank among our greatest contributions to world technology. We are not alone and there are many others in the field, but the two leaders are Australia's Synchron technology which competes with Elon Musk's Neuralink, valued at about $US8.5bn. Neither are listed. Last December, Synchron was valued at $US1bn. Sadly, Australia did not provide sufficient early stage money, but the Americans were quick to see that we are among the leaders, and so Australia's Synchron technology is now US based. Synchron investors include big US tech venture funds such as Khosla Ventures and ARCH Ventures, as well as the private venture funds of Amazon's Jeff Bezos and Microsoft founder Bill Gates. Synchron co-founder and chief executive Tom Oxley. Synchron recently tested the Australian market at its current capitalisation level, but we have missed the early development bonanza. The world is now entering a period where brain interfaces will be used to treat a range of human health disorders ranging from motor neuron disease, epilepsy, depression and critical upper limb impairment. Many corporations are researching, but Musk's Neuralink and Australia's Synchron are at the forefront. It is an area that will create controversies. The backing of Bezos and Gates has led Synchron to have stunning links to US technology giants. It has collaborations with Apple, Amazon, Microsoft, and Nvidia - four of the largest technology companies on earth. Apple this week made a special announcement highlighting its role in the Synchron system. Apple revealed that it is working with Synchron to create a new standard that will enable neural signals from brain implants to directly control iPhones, iPads, and even Vision Pro headsets. Both Synchron and Neuralink have a device that reads the brain's electrical signals. Musk's Neuralink inserts its device in the brain by opening up the skull. Synchron's so-called 'brain-computer interface' is less invasive because it avoids brain surgery by inserting it through a vein in the neck, similar to how a heart stent is placed. There are more doctors who know how to insert a stent than doctors who can perform open brain surgery, so Synchron's method is highly scalable and could be performed in many hospitals. Synchron has implanted its device in 10 people so far and is planning larger trials for commercial approval. The Synchron device incorporates a series of strategically placed electrodes dotted around a self-expanding tubular lattice which pops open in the brain and picks up the brain's electrical signals. Professor Nicholas Opie, Synchron co-founder in Melbourne. Picture: Arsineh Houspian It then transmits them via Bluetooth to a small device implanted in the body, which turns them into commands for digital devices. Nvidia's chips make the system faster and more accurate, reducing delays and improving control. Instead of the current communication to mobile phones via keyboards and voice, the brain's electrical signals that are generated by thoughts are picked up by the Synchron's electrodes in the brain. They instruct the mobile device to speak, turn on appliances, shop etc. In a strange way, the Synchron momentum started in the territory of the late Barry Humphries' Dame Edna Everage - the Melbourne suburb of Moonee Ponds. In 2019, a Moonee Ponds resident, Rodney Gorham became one of the first people in the world to successfully control Apple devices directly via his brain signals. The development goes back to 2008 when neurology student Tom Oxley was doing his internal medicine training at Melbourne's Alfred hospital. He was bored, and he found himself on a computer reading a 2006 paper by neurologist Leigh Hochberg hypothesising on the potential for brain-computer interfaces. He read about how Hochberg had taken a chunk of a person's skull to implant brain electrodes and received signals. Oxley had a sense that the brain-computer interface was going to change the world, but there had to be better ways than opening the skull. He teamed up with Nick Opie, a biomedical engineer who cut his teeth in the ill-fated (but ongoing) attempt at an Aussie bionic eye. Opie was researching in the same direction as Oxley Oxley's university friend Rahul Sharma was studying cardiology and told Oxley about what could be done by going into the heart via the blood vessels. Oxley found the heart boring, but it made him wonder why no one was doing the same thing with the brain. Fast-forward to 2019 and Synchron had mobile phones and devices being controlled directly with brain waves. Tesla and SpaceX founder Elon Musk, who is now a key part of President Trump's team, were developing the same technology and heard about what was happening Down Under. Musk realised Synchron had been using technology in Australian brains since August 2019 and its pace was leaving his Neuralink in the dust. Musk wanted to do a deal and perhaps buy Synchron. The story leaked and Musk's rival, Amazon's Jeff Bezos, and Bill Gates responded by funding Synchron. The company suddenly had the financial backing it required. But it would be based in the US. Last December, Bezos and Gates were part of a $US75m investment round that valued the Aussie upstart at about $1bn. It would be worth more now. Robert Gottliebsen Business Columnist Robert Gottliebsen has spent more than 50 years writing and commentating about business and investment in Australia. He has won the Walkley award and Australian Journalist of the Year award. He has a place in the Australian Media Hall of Fame and in 2018 was awarded a Lifetime achievement award by the Melbourne Press Club. He received an Order of Australia Medal in 2018 for services to journalism and educational governance. He is a regular commentator for The Australian. @BGottliebsen
NDTV
14-05-2025
- Health
- NDTV
Apple's New Tech May Soon Let People Control iPhones With Their Brain
Washington: Apple is making strides towards a future where people control their iPhones with thoughts, using brain implants, according to a report in a leading American daily. This is similar to the vision of Elon Musk's Neuralink. The tech giant is reportedly working closely with Synchron, a brain-interface company, which has developed a stent-like device called the Stentrode, The Wall Street Journal reported. This implant is inserted into a blood vessel near the brain's motor cortex and reads brain signals to control digital devices. Such technology could be life-changing for people with severe spinal cord injuries, ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis), or those recovering from strokes. These implants work by picking up brain activity and turning it into digital commands. A Brain-Computer Interface (BCI), as it is called, allows the brain to communicate directly with a computer or device. When a person thinks, the brain sends out signals. BCIs capture those signals through sensors and convert them into actions, like moving a cursor, typing, or opening apps, without needing to touch the screen. The Stentrode works with Apple's built-in feature called "switch control," which lets users change how they interact with their devices, switching from a joystick to a brain signal. "Today, brain computer-interface companies have to trick computers into thinking the signals coming from their implants are coming from a mouse," Synchron's CEO Tom Oxley told WSJ. He said Apple's new standard, expected to be released later this year, will make it easier for developers to connect implants directly with devices. One early user, Mark Jackson, who has ALS, uses the Synchron device to operate Apple's Vision Pro headset and his iPhone from home. He can't travel or stand, but the brain-implant lets him access Apple's devices in a new way. He told WSJ that through the headset, he was "able to peer over the ledge of a mountain in the Swiss Alps and feel my legs shake." Elon Musk's Neuralink has already implanted its device, the N1, in a human. It has over 1,000 electrodes placed inside the brain, capturing far more data than Synchron's 16 electrodes that sit on top. Neuralink's first user can move a cursor with thoughts faster than some people using a mouse. Musk has said that such implants could one day boost brain power and help people compete with advanced artificial intelligence. Morgan Stanley estimates around 150,000 Americans with serious upper-limb impairments could be early users of brain-implant tech. They predict the first commercial approval could come by 2030, but Synchron's CEO believes it could happen sooner.
Fast Company
13-05-2025
- Business
- Fast Company
Apple partners with a brain-computer startup to turn thoughts into device control
Apple is partnering with brain-computer interface company Synchron to develop technology that lets users control devices using neural signals. Still in the early stages, the technology could significantly expand accessibility for users who are unable to operate devices with their hands, Synchron said in a press release. The partnership was first reported by The Wall Street Journal. 'This marks a defining moment for human-device interaction,' Synchron CEO Tom Oxley said in a statement. 'Apple is helping to pioneer a new interface paradigm, where brain signals are formally recognized alongside touch, voice and typing.' Historically, users have interacted with tech devices through keyboards, mice, and more recently, touch and voice. But these interfaces remain limiting for people with certain impairments. Apple and Synchron are now working to translate specific brain signals into actions like selecting icons on a screen. Synchron's implantable device, called the Stentrode, uses electrodes to read brain activity. It integrates with Apple's 'Switch Control' feature, which allows users to operate devices via alternative input methods. 'When we ask our clinical trial participants what they want to do, it's always about communication and creativity,' Synchron Chief Commercial Officer Kurt Haggstrom said in a statement. 'And to most people, that means using their Apple devices. For Apple to recognize that need, and respond to it, demonstrates how much they value accessibility for their users.' The technology likely remains years away from FDA approval and widespread use. Synchron said limited trials with patients are expected to begin later this year.
Business Wire
13-05-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
Synchron To Achieve First Native Brain-Computer Interface Integration with iPhone, iPad and Apple Vision Pro
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Synchron, a category-defining brain-computer interface (BCI) company, today announced it will be the first BCI company to achieve native integration with a new BCI Human Interface Device (BCI HID) profile announced by Apple on May 13. This marks a major milestone in accessibility and neurotechnology, where users implanted with Synchron's BCI can control iPhone, iPad and Apple Vision Pro directly with their thoughts without the need for physical movement or voice commands. With the announcement of the new protocol from Apple - BCI HID for short - neural interfaces are now formally recognized as a native input category coming to Apple devices. This advancement enables hands-free, voice-free digital access for individuals with motor impairment such as ALS, stroke, or spinal cord injury. Synchron's BCI system will seamlessly integrate with Apple's built-in accessibility features, including Switch Control, giving users an intuitive way to use their devices and laying the foundation for a new generation of cognitive input technologies. '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.' Traditional human interface devices (HIDs) like keyboards and mice have historically required physical movement. While touch and voice interfaces have expanded accessibility, they remain limited for people with profound physical impairments. BCI HID eliminates those barriers by translating neural signals, captured by Synchron's Stentrode™ implant, into real-time digital commands. Unlike traditional assistive devices that replicate hardware inputs, a BCI HID can allow bidirectional communication between the BCI and the device. This closed-loop system can exchange contextual information, like screen layout and UI elements to optimize decoding accuracy and user experience. 'When we ask our clinical trial participants what they want to do, it's always about communication and creativity,' said Kurt Haggstrom, Chief Commercial Officer at Synchron. 'And to most people, that means using their Apple devices. For Apple to recognize that need, and respond to it, demonstrates how much they value accessibility for their users. It has been an honor to meet with their teams and provide feedback to help make BCI HID a reality.' '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's BCI HID presents an opportunity to break down more barriers and advance accessibility even further. Working collaboratively within the BCI industry, Synchron's goal is to achieve a foundation for seamless integration between any BCI system and any device—enabling a unified ecosystem for neural interaction across tech platforms and hardware vendors. In 2019, Synchron became the first BCI company to begin clinical testing of a permanently implantable system. Implanted via the blood vessels, Synchron's approach avoids open brain surgery, making it the most scalable neural interface technology in clinical development today. Native iOS, iPadOS and visionOS integration with Apple devices will offer value to patients in clinical trials while accelerating Synchron's commercialization path. Controlled rollouts with trial participants using BCI HID-compatible features are expected to begin later this year. About Synchron Synchron is the category-defining brain-computer interface (BCI) company pioneering implantable neurotechnology designed to restore autonomy and improve lives. Its mission is to bring the first commercially scalable BCI to millions of people with motor impairment. Synchron has completed two human clinical trials since 2019 and is preparing for a larger-scale study. The company's implantable BCI is now powered by Chiral AI™, a proprietary foundation model of cognition. With the BCI market projected to reach $400 billion (Morgan Stanley), Synchron is leading the field while prioritizing ethical development grounded in Cognitive Liberty and the protection of fundamental rights. Synchron is headquartered in New York. Learn more at and follow @synchroninc.
