The first clinical trial of a Neuralink implant in the brain of a person is going well overall, as explained by the company in a report on the first 100 days of analysis.
The quadriplegic patient, Noland Arbaughsaid he felt well and had an easier life thanks to the possibility of using one’s “thoughts” (or rather, the conversion of brain electrical impulses into “wireless” commands directed to computers) to interact with technological devices.
To study the behavior of the device and refine it, and understand if the patient is able to use the implant correctly, Neuralink uses several tests, including a game called Webgrid. It is a large square divided into a grid of small squares which, when colored blue, must be clicked as quickly as possible – finger, mouse cursor or brain impulse does not matter.
Neuralink uses it to test how precise Arbaugh is in controlling a mouse cursor. “The objective of the game is to click on the targets in the grid as quickly as possible while minimizing erroneous clicks. Your score, measured in bits per second (BPS), is derived from your selected net corrected targets per minute (NTPM) and grid size“, explains the company.
“Our first clinical study participant achieved a score of 8.01 BPS controlling his computer with his brain. How much will you be able to do?“, urges Neuralink.
Arbaugh obtained his score on a 16-inch MacBook Pro in full-screen mode. Now it’s your turn: click here and try to beat him.
The game is interesting because it allows everyone to have an understanding of what that value means8.01 BPS, giving the opportunity to understand the value of the Neuralink implant in a simple and immediate way, especially for those suffering from motor problems and other disabling pathologies.
