Neuralink, the brain-computer interface company founded by Elon Musk, has introduced a new surgical robot that can insert its electrode threads into the brain in 1.5 seconds, a sharp improvement from the 17-second cycle of the previous generation. The robot’s needle-guided system handles threads that are about one-twentieth the width of a human hair and is designed to be compatible with 99% of the global population, according to company executives involved in the project. Alongside the hardware reveal, Neuralink demonstrated five human volunteers who already carry the implant playing a game of Mario Kart using only their thoughts—an early showcase of multi-user "telepathic" computer control. The company’s first participant, 30-year-old Noland Arbaugh, received his implant eight years after a swimming accident left him tetraplegic. Neuralink says its technology could eventually reroute brain signals around damaged neurons and help people with spinal-cord injuries regain movement, but the program remains in the initial stages of human testing.