The waiting list for Neuralink implants explodes after this feat by a man with sclerosis
An ALS patient manages to feed himself using a robotic arm controlled by his brain chip, and thousands of people are now asking to join the trials.
In recent days, the name Nick Wray, a man diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), has been trending on social media after a video went viral showing him feeding himself using a robotic arm controlled by his mind, thanks to a Neuralink brain implant. His feat has sparked a wave of hope that has caused the waiting list for this procedure to skyrocket.
In the images, Wray precisely directs the mechanical arm to eat from a plate. “I’ll be able to talk with my hands again,” he said with a laugh as the arm adjusted its movement with a naturalness that seemed impossible just a few years ago. The chip converts brain signals into Bluetooth commands that translate into real-time actions, allowing external objects to be controlled with thought.
A call for hope for many
Neuralink, the company co-founded by Elon Musk, had already captured global attention when its first patient managed to browse the internet and play video games using only their mind (albeit with some issues). But this new video represents an emotional and symbolic leap forward: it demonstrates that technology can restore autonomy to people who had lost physical control of their environment.
The impact was immediate. According to Dongjin Seo, president and co-founder of Neuralink, more than 10,000 people have signed up for the waiting list to participate in clinical trials. For now, the program is limited to patients with ALS or spinal cord injuries that prevent them from using their hands. So far, 12 patients have received the N1 implant, and the company plans to reach 25 before the end of the year.
Wray explained that the chip has allowed him to regain everyday gestures he thought were lost: putting on a hat, heating his food in the microwave, opening the refrigerator, or driving his wheelchair “little by little.” In his words, “it’s like being myself again.” Meanwhile, public interest has skyrocketed to unprecedented levels.
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