Elon Musk's Neuralink launches brain-hacking device LINK V0.9 with surgical bot

In a one-of-a-kind event, tech billionaire Elon Musk debuted a path-breaking brain-hacking technology that can develop an interface between the human brains and computers on Friday, August 29.

Musk dubbed it "a Fitbit in your skull with tiny wires" as he presented the device LINK V0.9 with a demo on three pigs. He also showcased the surgical robot that will be used to implant the device developed by his company Neuralink in partnership with Woke Studio. The prototype launched in today's event has about 1,000 channels and is 23x8 mm in size, which according to Musk "fits nicely in your skull". 

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The device with a battery life of 24 hours can perform a series of tasks, such as warning about a possible heart attack in advance apart from the normal monitoring found in a smartwatch. It can also play music on command as Musk describes it as having a "phone in your brain".

LINK V0.9 can be installed within hours without general anesthesia, claimed Elon Musk during the presentation. The robot cuts a coin-size part of the skull and inserts the device before sticking the portion with a superglue. 

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"We’re not trying to raise money or do anything else, but the main purpose is to convince great people to come work at Neuralink, and help us bring the product to fruition – make it affordable and reliable and such that anyone who wants one can have one. Our goal is to solve important spine and brain problems with a seamlessly implanted device. The reality is that almost everyone, over time, will develop some kind of neurological problem. These range from minor to very severe. The thing that is important is that an implantable device can solve all of these problems," Musk said during the presentation. 

Watch the event here:

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Neuralink

Neuralink Corporation, founded by Elon Musk, is currently headed by CEO Jared Birchall with its headquartered in San Fransisco. It is the first of its kind company to work on developing implantable brain-machine interfaces. The company was first publicly reported in 2017 and in 2019 it reported having successfully performed implantable brain-machine interface tests on mice and apes.

According to reports, the company received $100 million in funding from Elon Musk and is currently run by some of the most advanced neuroscientists from various top universities across the world.

(Image Credit: Neuralink/YouTube)

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