Synchron, a brain-computer interface (BCI) company, has released the first public demonstration of an individual using an iPad controlled entirely by thought, leveraging Apple’s built-in accessibility features and new Brain-Computer Interface Human Interface Device (BCI HID) protocol.
The video features Mark, a participant in Synchron’s COMMAND clinical study and a person living with ALS, who uses the company’s implantable BCI to navigate the iPad home screen, open apps, and compose text all without using his hands, voice, or eyes.
This moment follows Apple’s announcement in May of a new BCI Human Interface Device (BCI HID) input protocol. With the new protocol, Apple’s operating systems can leverage brain signals as a native input method for the first time.
“This is the first time the world has seen native, thought-driven control of an Apple device in action,” said Dr. Tom Oxley, CEO and Founder, Synchron. “Mark’s experience is a technical breakthrough, and a glimpse into the future of human-computer interaction, where cognitive input becomes a mainstream mode of control.”
Mark’s use of the iPad is enabled by Apple’s built-in accessibility feature, Switch Control, and Synchron’s Stentrode device, which detects motor intention from blood vessels within the brain. These signals are wirelessly transmitted to an external decoder, which interfaces directly with iPadOS through the new HID protocol. The system allows for closed-loop communication, where an iPad, iPhone or Apple Vision Pro shares contextual screen data with the BCI decoder to optimize real-time performance, enabling precise, intuitive control using just neural signals.
“When I lost the use of my hands, I thought I had lost my independence,” said Mark. “Now, with my iPad, I can message my loved ones, read the news, and stay connected with the world, just by thinking. It’s given me part of my life back.”
Synchron was the first company to bring a permanently implantable BCI into clinical trials, and its endovascular approach avoids open brain surgery, making it uniquely positioned for real-world scalability.
For more information and to view the video, visit Synchron’s YouTube channel.
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