Neuralink, the brain-computer interface company led by Elon Musk, is moving toward human testing of its Blindsight vision device and preparing a new implant and surgical robot that aim to speed up treatment and boost capability.
Musk has said the Blindsight system could help people with complete vision loss see again, starting with coarse images that improve over time. The company is also working on a new “cybernetic augment” implant with about three times the capability of the current device, which he says should be ready by late 2026.
Blindsight aims to route vision straight to the brain
Blindsight takes a different path from eye surgeries or retinal implants. Instead of fixing damaged eyes, it sends visual information directly to the visual cortex using an implanted microelectrode array. A small camera on glasses captures images, then external hardware converts that data into patterns of electrical signals that stimulate neurons in the brain.
Musk has described the early experience as similar to low‑resolution video game graphics, with the potential to improve through software and training. Over time, the company says, machine learning systems could sharpen that perception and may even allow users to access non‑visible wavelengths such as infrared or ultraviolet, going beyond normal human vision.
Regulators in the United States have granted Blindsight FDA Breakthrough Device Designation, which gives the project a faster review track for serious conditions. Neuralink has reported long‑term preclinical testing, including a monkey that carried a visual implant for about three years. The company says it is ready for the first human Blindsight implantation and is waiting for final regulatory clearance.
Clinical trials grow and early outcomes emerge
Neuralink’s human work so far centers on its Telepathy implant, aimed at people with severe paralysis who need help controlling computers and other devices through thought. The company now has 21 people enrolled in its trials, up from 12 participants reported in late 2025, and has expanded to sites in the United States, United Kingdom and Canada.
Trial participants have used the system to move a cursor, play games and interact online by decoding signals from the motor cortex. Company updates state that no serious device‑related adverse events have been recorded in the group so far. Engineers continue to tune both hardware and algorithms, as Neuralink says performance can vary significantly between people.
The N1 implant that underlies both Telepathy and future uses contains 1,024 electrodes spread across 64 flexible threads, each thinner than a human hair. Those threads are placed several millimeters into the brain’s surface by a dedicated surgical robot that identifies blood vessels to reduce damage during insertion.
New robot targets faster and deeper surgery
Neuralink is now promoting a next‑generation surgical robot that it says can insert each thread in about 1.5 seconds, far faster than the roughly 17 seconds needed by the earlier system. For a full implant, that difference could cut the robot’s operating time from over an hour to a much shorter window, which the company argues will help scale up procedures.
The robot has been upgraded for deeper placement as well. Neuralink reports that the new platform can reach more than 50 millimeters from the brain surface, compared with about 4 millimeters previously. Engineers say this extra reach is useful for stimulating regions tied to peripheral vision, which could matter for Blindsight users who need broader spatial awareness.
The company has also talked about manufacturing changes, claiming a roughly 95% drop in the cost of needle cartridge production, and says the robot can operate on about 99% of human skull and brain anatomies. Musk has linked these moves to a broader goal of fully automated or near‑automated brain surgery and high‑volume implant production starting around 2026.
Next‑generation implant with 3X capability
On the hardware side, Musk has announced plans for an upgraded implant, described as a “next generation Neuralink cybernetic augment with 3X capability,” targeted for late 2026.
Company statement tie this hardware roadmap to a push toward higher volumes and more routine procedures in hospitals. Musk has compared the longer‑term vision for the surgery to LASIK, arguing that brain implants should become quicker and less invasive to deliver.
Neuralink’s approach still faces major technical and scientific questions. Early in its first human case, most of the electrode threads partially withdrew from their original positions, which led to a drop in decoding quality and forced the team to rely on a smaller set of stable channels and new algorithms. The company has said future surgeries will place threads deeper to reduce that risk.
Neuroscientists who study vision say that creating rich high‑resolution sight from cortical stimulation remains very hard. Work led by researcher Ione Fine and others points out that even tens of thousands of electrodes may never fully match natural vision, and that percepts can be noisy or hard for patients to interpret.
If regulators clear human Blindsight implants in the next phase, Neuralink could be among the first companies to test a direct visual cortex prosthesis at scale in people with complete blindness. The mix of a vision device, a faster robot and a higher‑capacity implant places the company at the center of a fast‑moving field that links neuroscience, surgery and computing.
We now have 21 participants enrolled in trials worldwide.
— Neuralink (@neuralink) January 28, 2026
Check out how our Neuralnauts are driving BCI technology forward.https://t.co/krUr1iv0ZB pic.twitter.com/hZQLlh5fnB
For now, the technology remains experimental, and longer trials with more participants will be needed before it moves into routine care. But early trial outcomes, growing regulatory engagement and increasing competition signal that brain‑computer interfaces are moving from concept toward regular use, step by step.
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