A man with ALS has gone viral after using a robotic arm controlled by his brain chip to feed himself, and the Neuralink waitlist is skyrocketing.
The brain implant converts brain signals into Bluetooth-based commands. Neuralink first made headlines when its initial patient was able to use the chip to browse the web and play games using only their mind. Elon Musk has previously said the ultimate goal is to restore mobility and independence to people with severe physical disabilities, even integrating the tech with Tesla’s Optimus robot.
On October 6, Nick Wray shared videos of himself directing a robotic arm to pick up a cup and place the straw near his mouth, and eat food. Wray, who has ALS, moved the arm in perfect sync with his thoughts.
“I’ll be able to talk with my hands again,” he said as the robot arm gently adjusted the drink.
Wray followed up by revealing he’s been able to use the implant for everyday tasks.
“I put on my own hat for the first time in years! I microwaved my own chicken nuggets and fed myself! I learned how to open my fridge and how to remove and replace lids on jars! I even got to try driving my wheelchair with it slowly inside. I did really well!” he wrote.
The video, which has been viewed over 20M times, also got Musk’s seal of approval. “Great work by [the] Neuralink team,” he said on X.
Thousands line up for Neuralink implant
According to Neuralink President and Co-Founder Dongjin (DJ) Seo, more than 10,000 people have now signed up for the company’s waitlist.
The current trial is only open to people with ALS or spinal cord injuries that prevent hand use. So far, 12 patients have received the N1 implant, with plans to reach 25 by the end of the year.
Those enrolled use the chip for an average of 7.5 hours a day, with one patient using it more than 100 hours a week.
Noland Arbaugh, the first Neuralink patient, went on Joe Rogan where he compared the implant to having an “an aimbot” in gaming.
Elon Musk wants Neuralink to give people “super powers.”
Earlier this year, a patient wrote her name for the first time in 20 years using her mind.
Musk, who co-founded Neuralink, isn’t directly involved in day-to-day operations but has positioned the brain-computer interface as one of the company’s most ambitious technologies yet. The X boss even said he hopes Neuralink will eventually give the world “super powers.”
The viral moment is the clearest public demonstration of that vision and it’s already sparking massive demand as we inch closer towards making Cyberpunk 2077 a reality.
