Last month, Alex, the second participant in Neuralink's PRIME study, successfully received a Neuralink implant at the Barrow Neuroscience Institute (Alaska). The surgery was successful, Alex was discharged the next day and his recovery is going smoothly. Since the procedure, Alex has been using Link to improve his skills, especially with video games and learning computer aided modeling (CAD) software.
Breaking records and developing skills
Since connecting Link to the computer, Alex has made impressive progress. In less than five minutes he learned to control the cursor with his mind, and a few hours later he broke the world record for cursor control via brain-computer interface (BCI) using a non-Neuralink device.
Alex's accomplishments are similar to those of Noland, the first participant in the PRIME study. After the first research session, Alex continued to expand his capabilities by using Link to play the first-person shooter Counter-Strike 2.
I'm already impressed with how it works.lex, PRIME research participant
Designing with CAD
Alex is passionate about creating different objects, and before his spinal cord injury, he worked as an auto mechanic. Link opened up new possibilities for him. On his second day of using Link, Alex tried the CAD software for the first time and successfully designed a custom mount for Neuralink's charger, which was then printed on a 3D printer.
Neuralink continues to work with Alex to increase his productivity by matching different types of mouse clicks to intended movements, allowing him to quickly switch between different modes in the CAD software.
Enhanced capabilities in games
Gaming has also become more intuitive for Alex. Before getting Link, he used the Quadstick, a mouth-controlled joystick, to play first-person shooter games. The Quadstick has its limitations, such as only having one joystick that allows you to either move or aim. Now, by combining Link with the Quadstick, Alex can move and aim at the same time, greatly improving his gameplay.
Just running is already enjoyable because I can look around and I don't have to move the Quadstick left and right... I think where I want to look and it happens. It's crazy.Alex, PRIME study participant
Addressing the problems and moving forward
To prevent the thread pulling problem observed in the first participant, Noland, Neuralink implemented new strategies during Alex's surgery, resulting in no thread pulling to date. Neuralink continues to improve Link's capabilities, aiming to provide full mouse and game controller functionality, as well as handwriting recognition for faster text entry.
In the future, Neuralink plans to allow Link to interact with the physical world, giving users greater independence, such as controlling a robotic arm or wheelchair.
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