This Indian Brand from Shark Tank and Hotstar is in Direct Competition with Elon Musk’s Tech
This Indian brand has been making headlines recently for all the right reasons. Having recently been featured on Disney+ Hotstar, and Fox 40 and catching the eyes of various international news channels, Neuphony, an Indian brand has put India on the map in terms of neurotechnology, neck to neck with Elon Musk’s Neuralink.
For some context, Neuralink is a company founded by Elon Musk that aims to develop brain-computer interface technology. In simple terms, they’re working on creating a way for human brains to connect with computers directly. The main idea behind Neuralink is to create tiny devices that can be implanted in the brain. This technology is similar to Invasive EEG (also known as intracranial EEG or iEEG), which uses electrodes (or threads) implanted in the brain to record brain activity. The key difference is that iEEG is primarily used for diagnostic (data recording) purposes, usually as a temporary setup. Neuralink aims to create a two-way interface for both – recording, and potentially stimulating brain activity in the long run.
But, how is Neuphony similar to Neuralink?
Neuphony works on creating products that can be used by researchers, practitioners (therapists, psychologists, etc.), BCI engineers, biohackers, institutions(research institutions, colleges, etc.), and for personal use as well. The Neuphony EEG Flex Cap is a cutting-edge neurotech device designed for precise brainwave mapping and analysis. This device is an example of the usage of non-invasive EEG technology which neither requires any surgery or implantation in the brain nor requires any gel or solutions to the hair for precise data monitoring
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Neuphony’s flex cap and headband combined with their desktop application has put India right next to Neuralink as the desktop application allows raw EEG data recording and streaming to other applications through LSL and SDK functionality, which potentially opens up the possibilities of all BCI applications.
Basically, this enables the use of the data from EEG (electroencephalography) waves to control any application one would want, just through their mind. And, not just this, but also opens the possibilities for researchers and BCI engineers to develop products in the domain. Brain-controlled drones, robotic cars, room lighting, and VR are just a few of the applications already explored
As per our sources, Neuphony is currently working on a better, more optimized version of the Neuphony EEG flex cap. The current flex cap has 8 channels, i.e. it can take data from 8 different points in the brain, but reportedly, Neuphony is working on a version that will cover 19 channels based upon the 10-20 system of EEG examination.
We reached out to Neuphony for their comments on this and the Brands of Tomorrow episode that was recently released on Disney+ Hotstar and the potential competition, and this is what the Co-Founder and CEO, Ria Rustagi had to say on this:
“At Neuphony, our mission has always been to leverage technology to improve brain health and enhance quality of life. This device is a significant step forward in achieving that goal.”
As for the media outreach, Ria said,
“Honestly, the aim is not to get recognition for Neuphony, but for the technology itself. It is long overdue that this technology was made accessible to more people as it can impact millions of lives in ways we can’t even imagine”
And, about the potential competition,
“There is no competition. Everyone is working towards the same goal. Yes, we get hate online already, in various ways, but that shouldn’t stop the community from growing…”
While Neuphony devices are a major milestone for India, their implications are global. Neuphony is working to make this technology accessible to people worldwide. The company envisions a future where advanced neurotech solutions are available to all, regardless of geographic location.
Neuphony’s EEG devices are gaining recognition from leading research institutions and experts worldwide. This four-year-old startup has recently been awarded several prestigious grants, including the MEITY grant, Startup India Seed Fund, NIDHI SSS, and BIRAC Seed, propelling its mission to revolutionize neuroscience research and education.