Elon Mussk的Neuroink真是令人难以置信

First, this article was written in sections, to facilitate the reader experience. Some sections has a compacted information, other more specific details in neuroscience or engineering. It is totally up to the reader go thru all the sections or not. For completely understanding of the technology and applications mentioned on title, the author truly recommends to read the hole structure.

首先，本文分段编写，方便读者体验。 有的提供紧凑的信息，有的提供更详细的神经科学或工程学信息。 这完全取决于读者 是否遍历所有部分。 为了充分理解标题中提到的技术和应用，作者真的建议阅读Kong结构。

脑活动 (Brain Activity)

This section presents the main idea of the neurological system, introducing the action potential theory, neuron structures, etc.

本节介绍神经系统的主要思想，介绍动作电位理论，神经元结构等。

There are 86 billion neuron cells in typical human brain. Neurons send and receive information. Although neurons come in many different types, they generally have three parts: a dendrite which receives a signal, a cell body called soma which computes the signal, and an axon which sends a signal out.

典型的人脑中有860亿个神经元细胞。 神经元发送和接收信息。 虽然神经元有许多不同的类型，但它们通常有三个部分：树突接收信号、细胞体和轴突计算信号。

Neurons are connected through synapses. The neurons of the brain connect to each other to send and receive signals through axon-dendrite connections called synapses.

神经元通过突触连接。 通过轴突-树突连接，大脑的神经元相互连接，发送和接收信号。

Neurons communicate through electric signals. Action potentials cause synapses to release neurotransmitters. These small molecules bind to receptors on dendrites, opening channels that cause current to flow across the neuron’s membrane. When a neuron receives the ‘right’ combination of spatiotemporal synaptic input, it initiates an action potential.

神经元通过电信号通信。 动作电位神经递质导致突触释放。 这些小分子与树突上的受体结合，打开电流通过神经元膜的通道。 当神经元收到时空突触输入的正确组合时，它将启动动作电位。

It’s possible to record electrical signals in the brain. To get this, electrodes should be placed near neurons in order to detect action potentials. Recording from many neurons, allows to decode the information represented by those cells. There are neurons in the brain that carry information about everything we see, feel, touch, or think.

在大脑中记录电信号。 得到这个 电极应放置 靠近神经元检测动作电位。 记录许多神经元， 允许解码细胞所表示的信息。 大脑中有神经元，它们承载着所有关于我们看到、感觉、触摸或思考的信息。

神经工程 (Neural Engineering)

This section presents the notion of the importance of the future technology applied in medicine, more precisely in engineering of the brain.

本节介绍了未来技术在医学中的重要性。

When speaking about technology in healthcare, specially orientated to hardware systems, it talks about biomedical engineering. Instrumentation, controlling, automation, sensing and etc, are the main fields to create a new technology in medicine, f.e., robotics (this include prosthesis, bionic members, electromyographs), machines for image diagnosis (ultrasound scan, MRI), and human sensors (pulse oximeter, electrodes).

谈到医疗保健技术，特别是硬件系统技术，它谈到了生物医学工程。 在医学上，仪器仪表、控制、自动化、感应等，FE，图像诊断机(超声波扫描，MRI)和 人体传感器(脉搏血氧仪，电极)。

Neural engineering is a branch of biomedical engineering and by it’scomplexity, is totally acceptable that, everything from electrical engineering, neuroscience, biochemistry and others subjects, is all compacted into it. Getting start on electrical engineering point, since simulations to manufacture the first prototype, is required a hard mathematical modeling, conditioning circuit, signal processing, power supply effectiveness, study on interference based on electromagnetic dynamics, simulations and etc. After that it must be integrated with the other areas to be acceptable. It is not that simple.

神经工程是生物医学工程的一个分支，并且由于其复杂性，将电气工程，神经科学，生物化学和其他学科的所有内容都压缩到其中是完全可以接受的。 自从模拟制造出第一个原型以来，电气工程的入门需要进行严格的数学建模，调节电路，信号处理，电源有效性，基于电磁动力学的干扰研究，仿真等。 必须与其他领域整合在一起才能被接受。 这不是那么简单。

Neural engineers are interested in understanding, interfacing with and manipulating the nervous system. (…) One benefit of understanding this communication is to provide new ways to interface between neural tissue and manmade technologies. This is known as brain-machine interfacing. IEEE(EMB)

神经工程师对理解，连接和操纵神经系统感兴趣。 (…)了解这种交流的一个好处是提供了神经组织和人造技术之间接口的新方法。 这就是所谓的脑机接口。 IEEE(EMB)

But let’s suppose that the idea is feasible. Imagine a implanted device inside a head that could detect electrical signal from human body, specially on brain, neurological signals, brainstem connections, and the spinal system. Imagine that it can process visual, audition, motor activating sensor signals on this device. After that, picture this kind of tiny electrode applying an ideal and controlled stimuli pulse for a compromised neural network, the exactly network that is responsible for the movement of a body member, or touch sense, visual network, and turning the paraplegic patient able to do a step, or a blind into a watcher, or people with communication problems into speakers. Even more, send all those signals, responses, wireless to a computer, from the skin.

但是，让我们假设这个想法是可行的。 想象一下一个植入头部的设备，该设备可以检测到人体的电信号，特别是大脑的电信号，神经信号，脑干的连接以及 脊柱系统。 想象一下，它可以处理此设备上的视觉，听觉，电机激活传感器信号。 之后，想象这种微小的电极对受损的神经网络施加理想且受控的刺激脉冲，该神经网络正是负责身体成员运动的网络，或触觉，视觉网络，并使截瘫患者能够做 一个步骤，或者是对观察者的视而不见，或者是对沟通有问题的人对讲者。 而且，还可以从皮肤向计算机发送所有这些信号，响应和无线信号。

I can say that this is totally getting out of the “paper” and going to some “heads”. Yes, and it is not a brand new Black Mirror episode.

我可以说这完全摆脱了“纸面”，走向了某些“头脑”。 是的，这不是全新的《 黑镜》剧集。

Elon Musk is beginning a new era of neural engineering. Not impossible for who’s already CEO of, a smart space rocket industry (SpaceX), and a robust, powerfull and effective vehicles industry (Tesla). He reveled Neuralink’s plans for brain-reading “threads” and a robot to insert them in a online Conference (August, 2020).

伊隆·马斯克 ( Elon Musk )开创了神经工程的新纪元。 对于谁已经是智能太空火箭行业( SpaceX )和强大，强大而有效的汽车行业( Tesla )的首席执行官来说 ，这并非没有可能。 他透露了Neuralink的大脑读取“线程” 的计划，以及一个将其插入在线会议中的机器人的计划( 2020年 8月) 。

Neuralink develops and approaches the idea behind the, brain-machine interface (BMI) or similar to brain computer interface (BCI) either. Instead of EEG (Electroencephalogram), a non invasive method for neural monitoring, that results in blurred signals (mostly because of detecting difficulties), Neuralink shows the invasive model more effective, handling with secure and body compatibility.

Neuralink开发并接近了脑机接口( BMI )或类似于脑计算机接口( BCI )的思想。 Neuralink代替了神经电图监测的一种非侵入性方法EEG (脑电图) ，该方法会导致信号模糊(主要是由于检测困难)， Neuralink展示了一种更有效的侵入性模型，具有安全性和身体兼容性。

Actually, Elon is the Neuralink founder and majority owner of the company, but the CEO is Jared Birchall.

实际上， 埃隆(Elon)是Neuralink的创始人和大股东，但首席执行官是贾里德·比尔查尔 ( Jared Birchall) 。

Neuralink概述 (Neuralink Overview)

This section shows the overview of the structures of the Neuralink technology.

本节概述了Neuralink技术的结构。

Compared to the link of the last year (2019), the new device got some improvements. One to highlight is, the recharging evolution.

与去年( 2019年 )的链接相比，新设备进行了一些改进。 值得一提的是，充电的发展。

• Electrodes — has same size scale as neighboring neurons and as flexible as possible; there are a dozens of electrodes in a “thread” (a signal conductor and insulator of 43 millilitres long and totally flexible); microfabrication of the threads results thin film metals and polymers resistant to corrosion from fluid in the tissue; it must have sufficient surface area to allow stimulation;

  电极-有 与邻近神经元大小尺度相同，并且尽可能灵活； “螺纹”中有数十个电极(信号导体和绝缘体长43毫升，完全柔软)； 微细加工 的 线程数 结果 耐金属腐蚀的薄膜金属和聚合物； 它必须具有足够的表面积以允许刺激；

• Chips — the Link of Neuralink needs to convert the small electrical signals (microvolts) recorded by each electrode into real-time neural information; it must have high-performance signal amplifiers and digitizers;

  芯片-Neuralink的Link需要将每个电极记录的小电信号(微伏)转换为实时神经信息； 它必须具有高性能的信号放大器和数字化仪；

• Packaging —Link needs to be protected from the fluid and salts that bathe surrounding tissue on brain; it’s very hard when that enclosure must be constructed from biocompatible materials; multiple components with a process that builds them as a single component is presented;

  包装-必须保护Link免受浸入大脑周围组织的液体和盐的影响； 当该罩必须由生物相容性材料制成时，这非常困难； 介绍了多个组件，以及将它们构建为单个组件的过程；

• Neurosurgery — the threads are too thin to be manipulated by hand and too flexible to go into the brain on their own (imagine trying to sew a button with thread but no needle); it needs to safely insert them with precision and efficiency; the solution is based on a new kind of surgical robot.

  神经外科—螺纹太细 用手操纵并且太灵活而不能自己进入大脑(想像一下要缝一个有线但没有针的按钮)； 需要安全，准确，高效地插入它们； 该解决方案基于一种新型的手术机器人。

Threads, which are smaller than human hair and are 4 to 6 micrometers in diameter, can transfer huge amounts of data, and 32 threads contain 1024 electrodes per array.

小于人类头发且直径为4至6微米的线程可以传输大量数据，并且32个线程每个阵列包含1024个电极。

The Neuralink chip has the inductive charge method. To get the Neuralink, the robot, puts in the electrodes and do the automated surgery in less than one hour, making the patient possible to leave the hospital in the same day and without general anesthesia.

Neuralink芯片具有感应充电方法。 为了获得N个euralink，机器人，放入电极并做自动化手术不到一小时，使患者可以离开医院在同一天，没有全身麻醉。

The first thing that Link will do is detect neurons activity, by using signal processing to control an outside computer. As the users think about moving their arms or hands, it could decode those intentions, which would be sent over Bluetooth to the user’s computer interface.

的第一件事是链接将做的是检测神经元的活动，通过使用 信号处理以控制外部计算机。 如用户所想 关于移动手臂或手，它可以解码这些意图，这些意图将通过蓝牙发送到用户的计算机界面。

The Neuralink app would allow to control an iOS device, keyboard and mouse directly with the activity of the brain, just by thinking about it.

只需考虑一下，Neuralink应用程序即可通过大脑的活动直接控制iOS设备，键盘和鼠标。

We plan to help people with severe spinal cord injury by giving them the ability to control computers and mobile devices directly with their brains. Neuralink

我们计划通过使他们能够直接用大脑控制计算机和移动设备的方式来帮助患有严重脊髓损伤的人。 神经链

实验 (Experiment)

This section shows three important experiments with three pigs (very similar structures to human brain) done at the last Neuralink conference presented by Elon Musk.

本部分显示了上一次由Elon Musk提出的Neuralink会议上对三头猪(与人脑非常相似的结构)进行的三个重要实验。

The first experiment shows that the first pig, Dorothy, remains healthy and happy, after an implant removing procedure as a result of a factual reversibility of the chip.

第一个实验表明，由于芯片的事实可逆性，在去除植入物后，第一只猪多萝西保持健康快乐。

The second experiment shows the spikes and sounds bips of neural connection with the chip. When the other pig, Gertrude, snuffles around and touches something with her nose. The blue wave at the figure below, shows the accumulative spikes of activation from electrodes connections with neurons, in white dots, on time. Gertrude had been with the link over two months, with health.

第二个实验显示与芯片的神经连接的尖峰和声音Bips 。 当另一头猪格特鲁德 乱打，用鼻子摸东西。 下图的蓝波显示了电极与神经元的连接在时间上的累积激活峰值(以白色圆点表示)。 格特鲁德(Gertrude)过去两个月以来一直保持健康。

The last one shows the comparison of the measured motor activity and the predicted with computer vision of the shoulder, elbow, carpal and trotter joints, in order, of the pig in a treadmill. Yes, a pig on a treadmill!

最后一个显示了在跑步机上对猪的肩膀，肘部，腕关节和猪蹄关节的运动活动与计算机视觉预测值的比较。 是的，在跑步机上的猪！

The experiment results shows the good functionality of the implanted system.

实验结果表明该植入系统具有良好的功能。

Neuralink详细 (Neuralink Detailed)

This section shows a detailed information from Neuralink chip operation modeling, in terms of hardware and software functionality. It will detail starting from the “macro” to the micro way point of view.

本节从硬件和软件功能方面展示了来自Neuralink芯片操作模型的详细信息。 它将详细说明开始 从“宏观”到微观的角度。

The first Neuralink project is the detection. As the neuron fires, the spike (or action potentials) connects to one of the 1024 electrodes channels. The pulse needs to flow into a pass band filter (instead of a time domain, there is a frequency domain, so there is a band width frequency range of the neural spike that needs to remain) to exclude noise signals.

第一个Neuralink项目是检测。 随着神经元的发射，峰值(或动作电位)连接到1024个电极通道之一。 脉冲需要流入通带滤波器(而不是时域，而是频域，因此需要保留神经尖峰的带宽频率范围)以排除噪声信号。

For a better manipulating, this filtered signal needs to be amplified digitized by an analog to digital converter (ADC). After processing it on internal microprocessor, the signal must be converted in digital to analog (DAC) and, finally, amplified be wireless transmited, as Neuralink engineers confirm, Bluetooth low energy radiofrequency (2.4 GHz).

为了更好地进行处理，此滤波后的信号需要通过模数转换器( ADC )进行数字化放大。 处理它内部微处理器后，信号必须在数字转换为模拟(DAC)，最后，扩增BE 如Neuralink工程师确认的那样，无线传输的是蓝牙低功耗射频( 2.4 GHz )。

The following image illustrate a simplified flowchart (from the author’s point of view) for the signal and the small idea of BCI initial process (neural detection and stimulation process).

下图说明了信号的简化流程图(从作者的角度来看)和BCI初始过程(神经检测和刺激过程)的小思路。

Some additional blocks could be included in the chart. For example, in the process before the transmission switch, could be mixed an oscillator, with the output amplified signal, for a better signal modulation in a specific frequency. This procedure allows a better telecommunication signal processing, in terms of power and signal-to-noise factor. Or even a conditioning circuitry block for power supply. For simplicity, are not included such specifications on the flowchart.

图表中可能包含一些其他块。 例如，在 传输开关可以与振荡器混合，并与输出放大后的信号混合，以便在特定频率下更好地调制信号。 就功率和信噪比而言，此过程可实现更好的电信信号处理。 甚至是用于电源的调节电路块。 为简单起见，这些规格未包含在 流程图。

All the process in the flowchart in terms of sensing, amplification, conversion, and processing, are totally integrated on N1 chip of the Neuralink. N1 is a totally customized ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuits) for the brains specifications, assuming that there is nothing on market that provides such features, as neural amplifiers f.e.

流程图中有关感测，放大，转换和处理的所有过程都是 完全集成在Neuralink的 N1芯片上。 N1是一个完全定制的ASIC(专用集成电路) 的大脑规格，假设没有什么市场，提供这样的功能，如神经放大器FE

The duration of an action potential is one millisecond. N1 digitizes it at 20 kHz, so the hole signal is divided in 20 pieces to process.

动作电位的持续时间为一毫秒 。 N1将其以20 kHz数字化，因此将空穴信号分成20个部分进行处理。

The ADC divides the magnitude of each piece in 1024 levels, so N1 has 10 bits of resolution (as the digitized conversion is only about ‘1’ and ‘0’, total bits is 2¹⁰ = 1024). The detection process duration is, 900 nanoseconds (0.0000009s), and this is determined by the internal clock of the N1. Considering neural speed communication, everything on Link happens faster than the brain!

ADC将每段的幅度划分为1024个级别，因此N1具有10位分辨率( 由于数字化转换仅约为'1'和'0'，所以总位为2 1 = 1024 )。 在检测过程中持续时间为，900个纳秒 (0.0000009s)，并且这是由N1的内部时钟确定。 考虑到神经速度交流， Lin k上的所有事物发生的速度都比大脑快！

The entire Neuralink measures 23 x 8 mm. Going inside of N1 SOC (System-On-Chip), that has 5 x 4 mm, it’s possible to find 1024 channels for all electrodes. Each channel has a noise correction factor of 7.2 micro Volts. For each thread channel there is a analog pixel with 6.6 micro Watts of power consummation.

整个Neuralink尺寸为23 x 8毫米 。 进入具有5 x 4 mm的N1 SOC (片上系统 )的内部，可以为所有电极找到1024个通道。 每个通道的噪声校正系数为7.2微伏 。 对于每个线程通道，都有一个功耗为6.6微瓦 的模拟像素。

Over time, Neuralink improved three version revisions of the analog pixel, in size, power consumption while maintaining its performance. The last version on the right, (see figure below), is five times smaller than the known state of the art. Each pixel is dedicated to each electrode, as published on academic literature.

随着时间的流逝， Neuralink改进了模拟像素的三个版本修订，在尺寸，功耗方面保持了 性能。 右边的最后一个版本(参见下图)比已知的最新技术小五倍。 每个像素都专用于每个电极，如学术文献中所述。

Let’s zoom in more, going from the analog pixel channel thru the thread with the electrodes. A hair has a 100 microns of diameter, the thread called linear edge, has the electrodes, whereas each one has 5 microns! Neuralink made over 20 designs of the threads, and the goal was to increase the number of the electrode at each channel, without significantly increase the width of these threads at the base (see figure below).

让我们进一步放大，从模拟像素通道到带有电极的螺纹。 头发的直径为100微米 ，线称为线性边缘，带有电极， 而每个都有5微米 ！ Neuralink对螺纹进行了20多种设计，目标是增加每个通道上的电极数量，而又不显着增加这些螺纹在底部的宽度(请参见下图) 。

However, as the number of electrodes increases, these raw digital signals become too much information to upload with low power devices, and, in this case, N1 essentially saturates in signal processing, and may cause wrong measurements and overheating f.e.

然而，随着电极的数目增加时，这些原始的数字信号变成太多信息与低功率设备上载，并且，在这种情况下，在信号处理N1基本上饱和，并且可能导致错误的测量结果和过热FE

The surgery robot must precisely do the incision and implant exactly on specific spots that do not harm the bloodtream.

手术机器人必须精确地做 准确地将切口和植入物植入不会损害血流的特定部位。

Speaking on software, there isn’t one programming language describing all algorithm for the Link and the surgery robot. To have an idea, at the low levels chip programming, in terms of the registers and peripherals structures, it uses Verilog, but it also uses C, C++, Python, Java…

在软件方面，没有一种编程语言可以描述Link和手术机器人的所有算法。 可以想见，在低级芯片编程方面，就寄存器和外设结构而言，它使用Verilog ，但也使用C ， C ++ ， Python，Java…

最后考虑 (Final Considerations)

This section presents some considerations about Neuralink future visions and author’s opinion.

本节介绍有关Neuralink未来愿景和作者观点的一些考虑。

1. Control or insulate the brain electric field of the entire implant ought to be accomplished, even detecting spikes or stimulating them;
   控制或隔离整个植入物的脑部电场应该完成，甚至可以检测或刺激峰值。
2. Decrease material resistance for cleaner detection, as electrode detects the action potential spikes. This procedure will optimize the filter and amplifier;
   减少电极的电阻，以进行更清洁的检测，因为电极可以检测到动作电位尖峰。 此过程将优化滤波器和放大器。
3. Decreasing the thickness of the electrode is a huge gain, but it results in a reduction in the cross-section of a conductor, directly influencing the flow of electrical current. So the main objective is to optimize these correlated functions;
   减小电极的厚度是一个巨大的进步，但它会导致导体横截面的减小，从而直接影响电流的流动。 因此，主要目标是优化这些相关功能。

4. Elon Musk revealed that, Link including surgery procedure, it will cost a few thousand dollars and will decrease it over time;

   埃隆·马斯克(Elon Musk)透露， 链接(包括手术程序)将花费数千美元，并且随着时间的流逝将减少；

5. One thing to prevent is the internal and external interference, such that sealing the Link package must be as better as it can possible, mainly the electronic circuit insulation;

   要防止的一件事是内部和外部干扰，因此必须密封Link封装 如，因为它可以更好地可能，主要是电子电路绝缘;

6. In conference was discussed that in future it will possible to make a backup and replay the memories. In additional, probably will be able to export communication that is hard to expose, like ideas, engineering models, art, music, using f.e. augmented reality;
   在会议上讨论的是，将来有可能进行备份并重播回忆。 此外，可能还可以使用增强现实技术导出难以公开的交流，例如思想，工程模型，艺术，音乐。
7. Put an end on diseases (control chemical, enzymes productions), cure anxiety, depression, autism, and etc.
   终结疾病(控制化学物质，酶的产生)，治愈焦虑症，抑郁症，自闭症等。
8. The Neuralink will process the external cortex, in special motor, sensing, vision, auditory, and language areas. But when talking about emotions, consciousness, psychological behavior, at the moment, will be limited to detect and study. Those are located in profound regions, like hypothalamus. To reach these regions isn’t reasonable just extend a thread. Other scientists present on the conference related that brain movements, physical impacts, and the hole structure must be studied. But it is possible.
   Neuralink将处理特殊运动，感觉，视觉，听觉和语言区域中的外部皮层。 但是，当谈及情感时，目前意识，心理行为仅限于发现和研究。 那些位于下丘脑等深远的区域。 要到达这些区域是不合理的，只需扩展一个线程即可。 与会的其他科学家认为，必须研究大脑的运动，物理影响和Kong结构。 但是有可能。

编辑推荐和参考 (Editor’s Recomendations and References)

• Neuralink Conference (Youtube)

  Neuralink会议( Youtube )

• Neuralink Research (Article)

  Neuralink研究( 文章 )

• CNET (Article)

  CNET( 文章 )

• The Machine (Article)

  机器( 文章 )

• Neuralink Website

  Neuralink网站

• Love and Brain Relation using fMRI (Article)

  使用fMRI进行的爱情与脑关系( 文章 )