Smart Hands, Human Touch: Neurotech Tightens Grip On Robotics Market

As the brain-computer interface industry edges closer to commercial adoption, robotics is emerging as a growing frontier for application development.

Smart prosthetics for people with limb loss may be the first market. In 2024, Morgan Stanley estimated it is a $4.5b slice of a $400b opportunity: “There’s roughly 2.5 million people in the US living with limb loss, with an additional 180k requiring amputation each year. Approximately 40% are missing an upper limb (upper arm, forearm and hand), representing initial BCI adopters…with companies like Phantom and Bios developing solutions.”

Both of those startups announced significant clinical milestones this month, with safety trial participants using implanted neural interfaces to control grip, regain function and power a science-fiction future. I spoke with each of their CEOs to learn more about clinical market pathways and their visions for neural interfaces in a near future where robotics and AI are even more widespread than they’ve become today.

Phantom Neuro: Implanted Control Systems

Today Phantom Neuro announced that it has implanted its Phantom X system in its first two human participants as part of CYBORG, an early feasibility study (EFS) underway in Australia. The study will enroll up to six participants before Phantom moves to a U.S. trial.

“Our initial indication for the technology is upper limb prosthesis control for amputees, but the goal here is much larger than that,” said Connor Glass, founder and CEO of Phantom. “It’s to create a broad control system that can be a universal controller for any type of technology that would be improve that could improve somebody’s life, to include their computer, their cell phone, a wheelchair, whatever it is, for these various demographics.”