Starfish Neuroscience, a neural chip company founded by Valve’s Gabe Newell, has announced the development of a custom chip for next-generation brain-computer interfaces. This innovative chip, created in collaboration with imec, is designed for wireless, battery-free brain implants capable of reading and stimulating neural activity in multiple areas simultaneously. These ‘read and write’ functions are essential for treating complex neurological disorders involving circuit-level dysfunction.
The project aims to address the current limitations of existing minimally-invasive neural interface implants by creating smaller, more efficient devices that can be easily implanted across multiple brain regions. Starfish’s custom chip, measuring just 2 x 4mm, offers impressive features such as low power consumption, multiple recording channels, stimulation capabilities, and onboard data processing.
While the technology is still in its early stages, Starfish is seeking early-stage collaborators to explore new applications of this cutting-edge technology. The company anticipates the chip to be available by late 2025, opening up possibilities beyond just medical applications.
“I think connecting to people’s motor cortex and visual cortex is going to be way easier than people expected and doing things like reading and writing to somebody’s motor cortex is way more of a tractable problem than making people feel ‘cold’. And you never would have guessed that,” Newell said in a 2023 interview with IGN.
Back in 2019, Valve’s Principal Experimental Psychologist Mike Ambinder also discussed how brain-computer interfaces could revolutionize immersive gaming experiences. By measuring players’ responses to in-game stimuli, developers can gain valuable insights to enhance gameplay and create more engaging experiences.
