Neuralink chip lets man play Mario Kart with his mind
Controlling objects with the mind has always been a staple of countless fiction stories. However, this ability became a reality when the Neuralink chip had its first–ever user.
Recently, lucky implant recipient Noland Arbaugh showed how fast and responsive the brain chip was by playing Mario Kart.
Posts from the X (formerly Twitter) social media platform showed Arbaugh playing the popular racing video game with Neuralink’s software lead via split-screen co-op.
More details about the Neuralink chip demo
Watch Neuralink's first human patient play 'Mario Kart' with his mind https://t.co/H2zW6uwHY2
— Insider Tech (@TechInsider) March 25, 2024
Business Insider revealed more details about Arbaugh’s latest gaming session.
The recent Neuralink chip gaming demonstration shows Bliss Chapman, Neuralink’s brain interface software lead, playing Mario Kart with Arbaugh, who was a quadriplegic.
They were playing a variation called “Beerio Kart,” which involves drinking a beer while racing. Chapman said it was one of the things Arbaugh wanted to do with the implant.
The pair participated in a split-screen cooperative play (co-op), which involves two to four players sharing a screen.
Chapman used the monkey Donkey Kong as his character, and Arbaugh used the iconic Super Mario villain Bowser.
Then, Arbaugh followed the track’s lines and shot down another player using only his mind’s Neuralink chip.
Chapman contrasted his experience with another video of him and his son playing the same game.
“What you see is a dad and son playing ‘Mario Kart,’ something I grew up doing all the time with my parents, something that I did a lot with my friends growing up and something that wasn’t possible until this happened,” the software lead said.
“I just think the normalcy of it contrasted with the absolute absurdity of doing it using the BCI is something to just marvel at and take in and soak in for a second,” he added.
A few days ago, Inquirer Tech released an article about how Arbaugh played the video game Civilization VI using his mind.
However, playing Mario Kart with his mind shows the responsiveness of the Neuralink chip because it is a faster-paced game.
It requires quick reflexes and fine movements to maneuver vehicles properly. Conversely, Civ 6 is a turn-based game that lets you take as much time as you want in moving units.
Hence, the most recent demo shows how advances the Neuralink implant is. Soon, many who have lost their motor functions may gain capabilities similar to Arbaugh’s.
