Neuralink Joins Forces with Spain, California on Smart Bionic Eye Project
Elon Musk’s Neuralink is now officially collaborating with researchers in Spain and California to develop a revolutionary “Smart Bionic Eye” — a brain-computer interface aimed at helping blind patients regain vision. The clinical trial, quietly registered on ClinicalTrials.gov in July, is sponsored by UC Santa Barbara and will involve Neuralink participants “once available.”
The project is part of a larger roadmap featuring Neuralink’s Blindsight chip, designed to restore visual perception using AI-powered digital vision directly wired into the brain. Blindsight has so far only been tested in monkeys, with human trials targeted by 2030 and potential commercial launch to follow — with forecasts reaching $1B annual revenue by 2031.
Neuralink’s broader pipeline includes:
• Telepathy: a chip enabling device control via thought, aiming for U.S. approval by 2029
• Deep: a neurochip designed to treat Parkinson’s disease and tremors
Despite fewer than 10 people having received Neuralink implants to date — none related to vision or Parkinson’s — the company is expanding rapidly. Plans presented to investors project 20,000 surgeries annually by 2031 across five dedicated clinics, based on a $50,000 per-procedure model.
Still, no Neuralink device has permanent FDA approval. As with past Musk ventures, timelines are ambitious. But with over $1.3B raised and a $9B valuation, Neuralink’s commitment to commercial neurotech is accelerating.
The race to build the future of brain-machine interfaces is officially on.
#Neuralink #ElonMusk #BionicEye #BrainTech #Blindsight