Who's who?
A disabled person with an implant challenged a monkey with a Neuralink chip to a competition
Georgy Golovanov, Hi-tech+
Both rivals are already training before the first interspecific battle of minds, which will surely be shown online. A monkey has an advantage in the form of a more advanced implant and practice, a person who is looking for a sponsor to purchase a new computer has tactics and a desire to win.
Elon Musk's company is developing advanced wireless neuroimplants that should allow a person to directly connect to computers and control them remotely. In April, Neuralink showed a video in which a monkey named Pager played digital ping-pong with the power of thought.
"As soon as I saw it, I said, I wonder if I can beat this monkey,– Nathan Copeland said. In the past, he got into an accident and now he can neither walk nor move his fingers. He has retained the mobility of his hands and can control the computer and the touch pad by typing with his fist. Six years ago, he was implanted with an implant, thanks to which he regularly plays video games. And now he is going to beat a monkey from Neuralink in computer table tennis, reports Technology Review.
"We are already preparing and training," Copeland said.
The competition between the two species is unlikely to be important for neuroscience, but it will undoubtedly draw attention to the problem of disabled people, to whom neurointerfaces can restore the ability to communicate and interact with the environment. Probably, the match will be broadcast online, via the Twitch streaming platform, on which Copland has an account.
Copland already has experience controlling video game characters through mental commands – he plays the Sega classic "Sonic the Hedgehog". But he admits that there is a chance of losing to a monkey. However, he is willing to take the risk.
An older version of the neurointerface is implanted in Copland's brain: an implant developed in University of Pittsburgh. Before completing the task, he needs a 10-minute workout so that the algorithm can link the activity of neurons with certain movements. After such a warm-up, the user can send the cursor in different directions, as if he were controlling it with a mouse.
The Pager has an advantage in the form of a more advanced Link neurochip. It is not only wireless, but also records data from a much larger number of neurons. It has about 1,000 electrodes, whereas Copland's model captures the signals of about 160 neurons at a time. Plus, the monkey trains longer. However, one cannot discount the tricks and tricks available to a person: the ability to send the ball at an acute angle and other risky maneuvers. So the outcome of the contest is not a foregone conclusion.
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