Monkeys walk around a virtual world using only their thoughts

April 16, 2026

Picture of a macaque eating

(New Scientist) – Monkeys with around 300 electrodes implanted in their brain were able to steer avatars around different virtual environments

Monkeys fitted with a brain-computer interface (BCI) successfully navigated a variety of virtual worlds using only their thoughts. Researchers hope the experiments will pave the way for people with paralysis to explore virtual worlds or more intuitively control electric wheelchairs in this one. (Read More)