On September 23, 2019, Facebook announced plans to acquire CTRL-labs, a New York startup that is developing a neural interface platform that you wear like a bracelet. The deal is reportedly worth between $500 million and $1 billion.
The technology uses a wristband that translates brain signals into actions.
The wearable concept sounds a little less cumbersome than other products teased to the market. Elon Musk’s Neuralink is also in the neural interface game; however, its solution requires a robot to sew the interfaceinto your brain. Neuralink’s initial play seems to be medical, whereas the low-hanging fruit for the Facebook deal is likely virtual and augmented reality gaming.
In an announcement, Andrew Bosworth, Facebook’s vice president of AR/VR, said that the move should help bring the CTRL-labs wristband concept to market faster.
The wristband reads the electrical signals that you send to the muscles in your hand. The device will theoretically read these signals and complete the action for you.
For example, Bosworth says you’ll be able to control your mouse without moving your hand. He also gave an example of sharing photos with a friend just by "intending to.”
According to Bosworth, Facebook plans to add CTRL-labs to its Reality Labs division to get the technology into consumer products faster.
Bosworth is right about one thing. If successful, this technology will most definitely "change the way we connect.”
Founded in 2015, CTRL-labs was valued at $248 million in February 2019.
