Neuralink patients can now control robotic arms with their thoughts

Early testers of Elon Musk’s Neuralink brain chip have moved beyond controlling computers and can now move robotic limbs with their mind.

In a video shared on X, Rocky Stoutenburgh, who is paralysed from the neck down following an injury in 2006, demonstrated the ability to move a robot arm to his mouth using only his thoughts.

Mr Stoutenburgh has previously relied on other assistive technologies to carry out tasks, including a mouth-operated controller that allows him to play video games.

Another trial participant with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Nick Wray, has also tested the new capabilities, using a robotic arm to pick up a cup and drink from it.

"Participants in our clinical trials have extended digital computer control to physical devices such as assistive robotic arms," Neuralink wrote in a social media post.

"Over time, we plan to expand the range of devices controllable via Neuralink."

More than 10,000 people have already signed up to Neuralink’s Patient Registry, hoping to take part in trials of the brain computer interface technology.

Clinical trials are currently only open to people living with paralysis conditions like a spinal cord injury or motor neurone disease, however the startup claims that its brain chips will be available to augment people without disabilities in the future.

Mr Musk said future iterations of Neuralink’s device could allow users to stream music directly to their brain, or communicate with other people using only their thoughts.

The tech billionaire also claims that it will allow people to achieve a "sort of symbiosis" with artificial intelligence.

"It could even get to the point where you can upload your memories and essentially have a saved version of yourself... then download that into a robot body or a clone version of your original self," he said during an event in July.

"I’m really getting into sci fi here... but I do think stuff like that will be possible, which would give people a form of immortality."