Brain-computer interface (BCI) technology developer Cognixion, and eye-tracking platform specialist Pupil Lab, have forged a strategic partnership to unify their respective technology provisions in an effort to advance research capabilities centred on neurological disease.
According to the companies, the partnership addresses a “significant need” that exists in the research community for tools that can simultaneously track visual attention and neural activity.
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The combined technology will provide a higher level of data confidence, the companies said, and ultimately result in a platform that can adapt to patient needs wherein disease progression, such as in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), may impact eye gaze ability.
To meet this aim, Pupil Labs’ eye-tracking software will be connected with Cognixion’s Axon-R SDK, which was launched last year, to allow for seamless data collection and analysis across the platforms.
Explicitly designed for research purposes, Cognixion’s device uses visual stimuli, bio- and neurological feedback to measure and modulate brain activity.
Cognixion CEO Andreas Forsland commented: “By combining Cognixion’s neural interface expertise with Pupil Labs’ industry-leading eye tracking technology, we’re filling a critical role in sensor architecture that isn’t available with any current BCI technologies.
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By GlobalData“This partnership enables a new generation of studies that can correlate visual attention with neural activity in real-time, potentially transforming our understanding of human cognition and interaction.”
BCI technologies are continuing to advance and receive considerable investor interest. Neuralink, the Elon Musk-owned developer of BCI chips that aim to restore movement in the limbs for individuals who may be paralysed or amputees, recently completed a $650m Series E fund raise.
However, as BCI technologies continue to develop, some observers hold concerns around the potential risks posed by the neural data these devices will generate.
US Democratic party leader Chuck Schumer wants to get ahead of the curve and shore up privacy protections while the technology largely remains at the developmental stage.
In a recent letter to FTC chair Andrew Ferguson, Schumer pointed out the following: “Unlike other personal data, neural data … can reveal mental health conditions, emotional states, and cognitive patterns, even when anonymised. This information is not only deeply personal; it is also strategically sensitive.”
