Brad Smith, an ALS patient and one of only 12 people globally to receive Neuralink’s brain-computer interface, can now operate an Insta360 Link 2 periscope webcam entirely through thought. The breakthrough has given Smith new ways to interact with his environment and connect with his family.
“The setup allows me to look around, take photos and videos, and engage with my family in ways I couldn’t before, restoring a sense of mobility in my gaze,” Smith said in a video. The motorized webcam enables him, unable to move anything but his eyes, to pan and follow activity around him in real time.
Before receiving the implant, Smith relied on an eye-gaze computer for communication. Neuralink’s N1 implant, however, has provided a more fluid means of expression and expanded his ability to observe and participate in daily life. “I want the world to see ALS not merely as a tragic endpoint, but as an opportunity for profound growth and innovation that highlights human resilience and reveals purpose,” Smith said.
Neuralink’s brain-computer interface consists of a small, implantable device positioned in the area of the brain responsible for movement planning. It decodes neural signals associated with motion intent, allowing users to control external devices such as computers and smartphones through thought alone.
In April, Smith released a video on X demonstrating the system’s operation. The narration was delivered using an AI-generated version of his voice, cloned from previous recordings, while he used Neuralink’s BCI to move the mouse on his MacBook Pro to perform the narration. “I have spent the last few years with ideas and thoughts that I cannot share because it takes too much time to type it out,” Smith said in the video. “I can already communicate faster and in more ways than I could before, and we are still working on ways to get even faster.”
Neuralink confirmed in September that 12 individuals worldwide have received the N1 implant. “Collectively, they’ve had their devices for 2,000 days and accumulated over 15,000 hours of use,” the company stated on X. The growing body of user data will guide future refinements as Neuralink continues testing the interface’s long-term stability and real-world performance.
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