http://hss-prod.hss.aol.com/hss/storage/adam/7c65abf91f1b4fefaf9d388d0ffbac98/georgia-tech-tongue-wheelchair.jpgGeorgia Tech has long wanted to show that tongue-controlled devices could help the disabled, and it now has solid proof. A new study shows that the school’s wearable Tongue Drive System lets the paralyzed control wheelchairs three times faster than they would using an ordinary breath-based approach. The speediness is due to TDS’ intuitive design, Georgia Tech says – wearers use a magnetic piercing in their tongue as a joystick, which is both faster and more logical than puffing into a straw. It’s subtler, too, as wearers don’t block their faces with as much equipment. Trials have so far been limited to hospitals and labs, but the findings pave the way for real-world tests. Eventually, Georgia Tech hopes for widespread use that improves tetraplegics’ mobility – and gives them more control over their lives.
Filed under: Transportation, Wearables, Alt
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The VergeSource: Georgia Tech