The deal will bring the software technology of MindX and Blackrock's BCI hardware under one roof to deliver full-stack, integrated BCI products
The deal will expand Blackrock's portfolio and position the company to produce, integrated BCI products. (Credit: sbtlneet from Pixabay)
Implantable brain technology developer Blackrock Neurotech has acquired the spatial computing software firm MindX to commercialise full-stack brain-computer interface (BCI) products.
As part of the deal, MindX’s augmented reality (AR) and artificial intelligence (AI) technology will be integrated with Blackrock’s BCI hardware.
The transaction will expand Blackrock’s current software portfolio and position the company to produce full-stack, integrated BCI products.
Blackrock’s announcement follows its exclusive neural decoder licence agreements with Stanford University and Columbia University.
Implantable BCIs are useful for patients suffering from paralysis and neurological disorders to restore functions like movement, communication, and touch for better independence and quality of life of these patients, said Blackrock.
The interface has user-friendly software that decodes neural activity and converts brain signals into digital commands for the therapeutic application of BCIs.
MindX’s proprietary spatial neurocomputing technology is used to recognise and interpret the movement of objects in physical space using the decoded biological data for more meaningful levels of interaction between patients, their physical environments, and the digital world.
Blackrock co-founder and CEO Marcus Gerhardt said: “MindX is home to fantastic engineers who are developing groundbreaking, cutting-edge software at the intersection of neurotechnology, AR and AI, and we are particularly pleased to partner in a deeper way with Julia Brown, who has been an insightful innovator and leader in this space.
“By fusing our hardware DNA with their software DNA, we enhance our neural data analysis and enable flexibility and customization for a variety of BCI applications. Furthermore, the opportunity to broaden applications through spatial software and AR exponentially advances our commercialisation aims.”
Blackrock is planning to launch the first commercial BCI platform in 2023. The company’s technology has been tested in the human clinical trial since 2004.
The acquisition is also anticipated to boost ongoing research on speech restoration for aphasia sufferers.