Neuralink's Consumer Brain-Computer Interface 「ThinkChain」 Launches at $2,999

On December 18, Neuralink held a product launch event in Los Angeles, officially releasing its first consumer-facing brain-computer interface device, "ThinkChain." Unlike the invasive N1 chip designed for paralyzed patients, ThinkChain uses a non-invasive design resembling a lightweight headset, reading brainwave signals from the prefrontal cortex via dry electrode arrays.

The device supports three core functions: mind-typing (approximately 40 Chinese characters per minute), real-time emotion monitoring, and personalized sleep optimization. ThinkChain is powered by Neuralink's proprietary N2 neural processing chip, which handles signal decoding locally without cloud connectivity.

Priced at $2,999, the first batch of 100,000 units was sold through Neuralink's website and sold out within 30 minutes. Scalper prices have already soared above $8,000.

Neuroscientists remain cautious about ThinkChain's practical experience. The director of UCSF's Brain-Computer Interface Research Center noted: "Non-invasive approaches have significantly lower signal precision than invasive ones. While 40 characters per minute surpasses most comparable products, it still falls short of keyboard input."

Privacy concerns have also been raised. ThinkChain continuously reads brainwave signals, and the storage and usage of this data lack clear regulatory constraints. The European Data Protection Committee has requested that Neuralink submit a data protection impact assessment report before launching in Europe.