Brain Machine Interfaces

5TH YEAR ON THE LIST

Synchron’s Stentrode, an implantable brain-computer interface, won FDA approval to begin an early feasibility study in late 2021.

Credit: Synchron

KEY INSIGHT

In the first eight months of 2021, investors put $300 million behind startups focused on brain-machine interfaces (BMI) or brain-computer interfaces (BCI)—triple the amount raised in 2019. Research has focused mainly on medical applications, but Ford and Mercedes-Benz are exploring how BCI could be used for vehicle control.

EXAMPLES

The University of Pittsburgh’s Rehab Neural Engineering Labs developed two-way communication with a BCI to mimic tactile sensations, a development that could provide crucial feedback for improving the control of prosthetics. Brown University researchers are placing microscale neural sensors called neurograins on the outer layer of the brain. Synchron received FDA approval for an early feasibility study with Mount Sinai, UPMC, and Carnegie Mellon to explore a minimally invasive approach using blood vessels to implant its fully internalized Stentrode neuroprosthesis device.

DISRUPTIVE IMPACT

Facebook sponsored research at University of California, San Francisco, only to later abandon efforts to turn BCIs into wearable consumer technology. But research into consumer-facing technology isn’t dead: A global collaboration led by Georgia Institute of Technology demonstrated that participants could use its wireless BMI system to accurately control virtual reality exercises. The researchers also developed a machine learning model that improved the accuracy of the system. Availability of wireless BMIs that no longer require implantation will likely expand use of BMIs. The possibility of broader use has groups raising ethical concerns: The NeuroRights Foundation seeks to establish “neuro-rights” before the technology reaches the mainstream.

EMERGING PLAYERS

• Synchron • NextMind • Kernel • Neurable • Neuralink • NeuroPace • Bitbrain