Particle.news
Download on the App Store
9 ARTICLES
·
7h ago

Apple Partners with Synchron to Bring Brain-Controlled Device Interaction to iOS 19 and visionOS 3

Set for release this fall, the collaboration integrates the Stentrode brain-computer interface into Apple's accessibility framework, enabling users with severe motor impairments to control devices using neural signals.

A tiny implant in a brain blood vessel can lead to thought control of Vision Pro.
Photo: Justin Sullivan (Getty Images)
Apple Store
Image

Overview

  • Apple's partnership with neurotechnology startup Synchron aims to integrate the Stentrode brain-computer interface (BCI) into iPhones, iPads, Macs, and Apple Vision Pro devices.
  • The Stentrode, a minimally invasive implant placed in a blood vessel atop the motor cortex, translates neural signals into device commands, avoiding open-brain surgery.
  • Native BCI support will be added to Apple's Switch Control accessibility framework with iOS 19 and visionOS 3, scheduled for release later in 2025.
  • Mark Jackson, an ALS patient in Pennsylvania, is testing the technology, using the Stentrode to control Apple devices, though performance remains slower than traditional input methods.
  • Apple's move builds on its history of accessibility innovation, aiming to establish industry standards for brain-computer interface integration, similar to its Made for iPhone hearing aid protocol.