Neuralink, a U.S.-based neurotechnology company, shared updates from its ongoing PRIME clinical trial. The company demonstrated that people with paralysis can now steer, reverse, and adjust the seat and backrest of an electric wheelchair using only their thoughts.
The system relies on the N1 implant, which is placed in the motor cortex—the brain region responsible for planning voluntary movements. The implant contains 1,024 electrodes distributed across more than 100 ultra-thin threads. A specialized surgical robot inserts these threads with high precision to minimize damage to surrounding brain tissue.
When a person intends to move, neurons generate electrical activity. The implant records these signals in real time, and a machine learning model decodes them into digital commands. These commands control a virtual cursor on a screen, which is then translated into commands for the wheelchair. Participants navigated indoor hallways and outdoor paths using a live video feed from a camera mounted on the wheelchair.
Rather than continuing indefinitely after a command is issued, the virtual cursor automatically returns to its center position when the user relaxes their focus. The company emphasized that the current demonstration represents research rather than a commercial product and that further testing remains necessary before broader deployment.
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