Clinical trials of the first commercial Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) system, developed by Synchron, have started in the United States. If the trials are deemed successful, the system could be used everywhere, and patients with paralysis could once again be in contact with the outside world.

Axar.az reports that at the initial stage, the Stentrode system is tasked with confirming its safety, as well as the ability to effectively work with digital devices without the help of hands. Synchron, the company that developed the system, is thus ahead of its well-known competitor in the face of Elon Musk’s Neuralink, which receives more funding but has not yet fully formed the staff. Last year, Neuralink raised $205 million, while Synchron only raised $70 million.

Brain-computer interface systems can make it much easier for people with disabilities to communicate with the outside world. According to official figures, there are 5 million potential users of such systems in the US alone. When implanted, Stentrode electrodes travel through the blood vessels to the brain (in Neuralink they are implanted directly into the skull), and the system begins to translate brain activity into electrical signals, allowing you to work with text messages, email, online shopping or other relatively simple tasks.