Frequently asked questions
How Neuralink works
A closer look at the hardware and software behind the brain-computer interface, from the implant in the skull to the app on the phone.
The N1 implant
The N1 is a coin-sized device, about 23 millimeters across, that sits flush in the skull after a small piece of bone is removed. It reads activity from individual neurons and streams it wirelessly over Bluetooth to a phone or computer. The implant is fully sealed, runs on a small battery, and recharges through the skin. Across its 1,024 electrodes it can listen to thousands of neurons at once. Patients 1 through 5 used a 64-thread version; from patient 6 onward the design moved to 128 thinner threads while keeping the same 1,024 channels.
The electrode threads
The implant connects to the brain through dozens of ultra-thin, flexible threads, each far thinner than a human hair. They are made from a soft polymer so they bend with the brain instead of damaging tissue, and each thread carries several electrodes that sit right beside neurons in the motor cortex. Because the threads are so fine and delicate, they cannot be placed by hand, which is the whole reason the surgical robot exists.
The R1 surgical robot
R1 is the robot that inserts the threads. Working with micron-level precision, it uses a needle finer than a hair to place each thread at a planned depth while steering around the blood vessels on the surface of the brain. The latest revision, Rev10, refines that process to make insertion faster and more automated. A typical implant takes only a couple of hours, and the long-term goal is a same-day outpatient procedure.
Telepathy and the Link app
Telepathy is the name for controlling a computer or phone using thought alone. The implant detects the patterns a person produces when they intend to move, and the Link app decodes those signals into cursor movement, clicks, and typing in real time. Patients calibrate the system with short on-screen exercises, and it keeps getting better as the software learns each person's unique brain activity.
The clinical studies
Neuralink's work is split into separate human studies, each focused on a different capability. PRIME tests cursor and device control for people with paralysis. CONVOY extends that control to robotic arms and assistive devices. VOICE focuses on restoring speech for people who have lost it. Blindsight aims to restore a basic form of vision by stimulating the visual cortex directly. The patient table on this site tracks who is taking part in each one.
