Elon Musk announces a major achievement in his project to restore vision to the blind
Elon Musk announces a major achievement in his project to restore vision to the blind.. This is the Blindsight device that restores sight
Neuralink, a company founded by Elon Musk, is making headway in the brain implant race. In addition to connecting machines to patients’ brains, Musk has announced a major breakthrough in his project to restore vision to the blind and visually impaired. Neuralink is competing with other long-running projects like Synchron, which recently got an ALS patient to use his mind to control Amazon’s Alexa.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted an innovation mark to Blindsight. Musk said in a post on his social network X that the experimental device “will allow even those who have lost both eyes and the optic nerve to see.”
In theory, Blindsight works through an array of tiny electrodes implanted in the brain’s visual cortex. This array would stimulate neurons with patterns coming from an external room, creating visual phenomena in people who may never have seen them before. In simple terms, it’s an attempt to reproduce vision in those who have lost it or never had it.
But here’s the catch: Until now, implant technology of this kind has been limited by the low electrode density. That means what a person “sees” through the device will be more like tiny flashing lights, with no clear pattern or coherent image. And while Neuralink has made progress in increasing this density, the device still faces significant challenges.
The development of a device like Blindsight is undoubtedly a step forward in neurotechnology. Although we are not yet talking about a cure for blindness, the fact that the electrode density and implant efficiency have improved is a major advance.
Additionally, it's important to note that Neuralink appears to have found ways to reduce the risk of rejection or brain damage in the implant, a major achievement for any device that interacts directly with the brain.
Despite the promise, there is still a long way to go before a device like Blindsight can truly change the lives of blind people. The scientific community needs more access to Neuralink studies and data so that it can fully analyze the advantages and challenges of this approach. Right now, we are at an early stage where progress is exciting, but it should not be confused with a final solution.
For now, we can hope that the FDA approval will allow Neuralink to continue developing and improving its technology.