Because implanted brain devices are placed directly on or within the brain, they are able to detect neural activity as soon as a person considers moving. This means that before the signal can travel to the nerve in the muscle, it would be received by the implant. According to the article, because the skill and surrounding tissue weaken and distort the electrical patterns originating from the brain, these implants can detect signals related to “fine motor movements.”
That EEG headsets are unable to detect (Whang). Implants are able to detect the intention before any physical movement occurs since muscles only act in response to an instruction from the brain. An implant can detect finger-level signals early thanks to this configuration, but a noninvasive system often detects a noisy version that arrives too late or too distorted.
This distinction is clearly shown in the Cybathlon example. Since the implant reached the brain's motor plans at the source rather than through layers of interference, the implanted pilot was able to move a cursor quickly and precisely. According to the report, he was able to complete tasks far more quickly and accurately than the pilots using scalp EEG devices because implanted electrodes generated “clearer and richer neural information” (Whang). The technology can distinguish between the brain patterns for certain finger motions, which usually fire milliseconds before the muscles actually function, with that degree of detail. It was difficult for the EEG pilots to detect such early movement orders since their signals were distorted by noise from skin, hair, tense muscles, and even mental stress.
The genuineness of the claim is demonstrated by the performance difference between the noninvasive and implanted devices. The device's capacity to read brain activity at the time the intention developed, long before it manifested as apparent movement, was the source of the implanted pilot's speed and precision. Noninvasive users, on the other hand, had to contend with delays and drifting signals, demonstrating how much is lost when the brain isn't directly connected to the system (Whang). Because implanted devices are accessing the information at its earliest stage, the data together indicates that they possess the precision and timeliness required to identify individual finger motions before the body physically moves. Whang, Oliver. “At the Cybathlon, May the Best Brain-Computer Interface Win.” The New York Times, 12 Nov. 2025, https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/12/science/brain-implants-technology-disability.html .
