Once conceptual ideas of being able to control smart home devices with just your thoughts is no longer contained to movies and our imagination, as a neurotechnology company has demonstrated what it says it the first use of Amazon Alexa by using a brain-computer interface to control devices.
Synchron, a New York City-headquartered company, is developing what it calls an “endovascular brain-computer interface (BCI) designed to restore functionality in people with severe paralysis.” Just think of it like Elon Musk’s Neuralink The clinical-stage company says it is developing a neuroprosthesis to restore motor signaling to control digital devices.
The Story Behind the First Smart Home Brain Implant
The device was implanted into the brain of a 64-year-old man suffering from the fatal neurological disease ALS. The company claims the man, named Mark, used his direct thoughts to control his smart home via the Tap to Alexa feature on his Amazon Fire tablet.
According to Synchron, this allows Mark to utilize the Synchron brain computer interface (BCI) to select customized tiles that perform pre-set Alexa actions, like turning on and off lights, making video calls, playinng music and shows, controlling smart home devices, reading books on Kindle or purchasing items on Amazon. This was done entirely free of hands or voice, the company says.
In a video release showcasing the achievement, Mark is able to do so by selecting tiles on a tablet via his thoughts. “Tapping” on them activates the associated control. He even has a virtual Fire TV remote to change channels and control his TV.
In a statement, Mark, the patient in this trial, said he relies upon connected devices and control platforms like Amazon’s Alexa and Echo products.
“To be able to manage important aspects of my environment and control access to entertainment gives me back the independence that I’m losing,” he was quoted as saying.
Synchron says integrating their BCI technology with Alexa could allow users to control their environment both inside and outside of their home and make smart home control more accessible for physically impaired people.
According to the company, the Synchron BCI is implanted in the blood vessel on the surface of the motor cortex of the brain via the jugular vein, through a minimally-invasive endovascular procedure. Once implanted, it is designed to detect and wirelessly transmit motor intent out of the brain, intended to restore the capability for severely paralyzed people to control personal devices with hands-free point-and-click.
Brain-Computer Interfaces Take Another Step Forward in the Smart Home
The company hopes to expand the possibilities for smart home automation, enabling patients to use their thoughts to interact with a wide range of Alexa-compatible devices, from lights and plugs to thermostats and cameras, without the need for voice or physical interaction with a touch screen.
In a statement, Synchron CEO and Founder Tom Oxley said the company wants to bridge the gap between neurotechnology and consumer tech for people with paralysis.
“While many smart home systems rely on voice or touch, we are sending control signals directly from the brain, bypassing the need for these inputs,” Oxley says. “We’re thrilled to utilize our BCI to access Alexa capabilities, so patients can interact with devices in their home hands and voice-free, using only their thoughts, to address a critical unmet need for millions of people with mobility and voice impairment.”
