Flying A Drone With His Mind: Alex Conley Neuralink Implant

Alex Conley just did something that most of us just have dreamed of: he flew an RC Airplane with just his thoughts. And the best parts is not that he just flew it, he also wrote the code for Arduino to control the plane. All this, from his electric wheelchair. Dev.ua gave us the lead and we reported on it.

Alex Conley in his electric wheelchair, the second person to receive a Neuralink implant.

Alex ConleyPhoto credit: x.com/Bcidesign

You know, he’s not your typical drone pilot. Alex, who suffers from a cervical spinal cord injury, was the second person to receive a Neuralink brain implant. And the first one to play Counter Strike 2…

…but also flying a RC Plane

I used the Neuralink to write code for an Arduino to allow me to control an RC airplane with a quad stick. The possibilities are truly endless. Thank you Elon and the entire team at Neuralink. I am honored to be part of such a great program. @neuralink pic.twitter.com/VLnNi7n6Ex
— Alex Conley (@Bcidesign) November 9, 2025

Paralized? Maybe. Resignated? Never.

Since receiving the implant in July of this year, Alex has been working closely with the Neuralink and the Barrow Neurological teams to make all kind of actions.

Alex Conley working with the Neuralink and Barrow Neurological teams after his July implant.

Photo credit: x.com/Bcidesign

Like using his Brain-Controlled Interface to control a robotic arm for his daily activities, as we can see here

Alex Conley operating a robotic arm through his brain-computer interface.

Photo credit: x.com/Bcidesign

Alex Conley flying his Arduino-controlled RC airplane using only his thoughts.

Photo credit: x.com/Bcidesign

DroneXL’s Take

Watching the video of Alex flying his RC Plane, and having the experience of flying those airplanes, I know that this is far, very far away from turning on a DJI Mavic 4 or Mini 5 Pro. I always say that these are almost self-flying drones. What Alex is doing is not only overcoming every possible circumstance but also using everything he has on hand, or even better, on mind, to make his life easier.

It’s not an easy task but as he says “I used Neuralink to write code for Arduino. This allowed me to fly a radio-controlled plane using a quadcopter. The possibilities are truly endless”

This is the kind of news that I absolutely love writing because it mixes everything that I love: technology, drones and a mindset of “If I can see it on my mind, I can have it in my hand”

Cheers to the great teams at Neuralink and Barrow Neurological for the amazing achievements that they are making everyday.

Photo credit: x.com/Bcidesign