Key points from article :
Synchron, a brain-computer interface company, has developed a device that lets people control an iPad using only their thoughts. The system works through Apple’s built-in accessibility features and requires no hand, voice, or eye movement.
In a clinical trial, a participant named Mark, living with ALS, demonstrated the device. He successfully navigated apps and typed text on an iPad, showing how thought-driven control could restore independence for people with severe movement loss.
The technology relies on Synchron’s Stentrode implant, which communicates brain signals to Apple devices. A new interface protocol released by Apple in May made this seamless integration possible, linking the implant with iPhones, iPads, and even Vision Pro headsets.
Tom Oxley, Synchron’s founder and CEO, called it the first public example of native, thought-based control of an Apple device. He said it marked a step toward making cognitive input a normal way to interact with technology.
Mark previously used the device with Apple’s Vision Pro headset, proving it could replace hand gestures in virtual reality. Apple’s protocol allows the iPad to share its display back to Synchron’s decoding software, improving accuracy and responsiveness.
For Mark, the impact is deeply personal. “When I lost the use of my hands, I thought I had lost my independence,” he said. With the implant, he can now message loved ones, read the news, and stay connected, regaining part of the life he thought was gone.
