Wheelchair Controlled With ‘Clinical Tongue Piercing’
- Posted on February 29, 2012 at 12:49am by
Liz Klimas
- Print »
- Email »
For quadriplegics to have more of a sense of independent mobility with wheelchairs, researchers at Georgia Tech are working on a prototype called the “Tongue Drive System”, which, like it sounds, allows the user to control his or her wheelchair with specific motions of the tongue.
(Image: Maysam Ghovanloo)
Using what is described as a “clinical tongue piercing”, where the tongue ring would include a magnetic material, the wearer touches sensors on an inconspicuous retainer inside the mouth for specific motions.
According to Georgia Tech, this prototype is an improvement on previous technology that required the user to wear a clunky headset.
“One of the problems we encountered with the earlier headset was that it could shift on a user’s head and the system would need to be recalibrated,” explained Ghovanloo in a statement. “Because the dental appliance is worn inside the mouth and molded from dental impressions to fit tightly around an individual’s teeth with clasps, it is protected from these types of disturbances.”
The commands given from the tongue to move the wheelchair in a specific way are wirelessly picked up by an iPod or iPhone to control the wheelchair, substituting moving a wheelchair’s joystick.
(Photo: Maysam Ghovanloo)
“During the trials, users have been able to learn to use the system, move the computer cursor quicker and with more accuracy, and maneuver through the obstacle course faster and with fewer collisions,” said Ghovanloo. “We expect even better results in the future when trial participants begin to use the intraoral Tongue Drive System on a daily basis.”
[H/T Popular Science]
Comments (18)
Sign In To Post Comments! Sign In
Popular Stories
Paper Details Obama Admin’s Alleged Secret Note Sent to Iran: If Israel Attacks, We Won’t Get Involved 591 Comments
This Is the Creationists‘ Response to Scientist Bill Nye’s Viral Pro-Evolution Video Claiming They Harm Children 417 Comments
‘Made Up Religion’: TV Historian Enrages Muslims, Receives Threats After Producing UK Documentary Questioning Islam’s Beginnings 415 Comments
President Obama Issues Major ‘Green Energy’ Executive Order 385 Comments
Roseanne Barr: Most Billionaires ‘Violent Pedophiles’ & ‘Heartless’ Cocaine Addicts 376 Comments
Faith
- This Is the Creationists‘ Response to Scientist Bill Nye’s Viral Pro-Evolution Video Claiming They Harm Children 417 Comments
Pakistani Muslim Cleric Accused of Framing Disabled Christian Girl in Koran-Burning Case Read More- ‘Made Up Religion’: TV Historian Enrages Muslims, Receives Threats After Producing UK Documentary Questioning Islam’s Beginnings 415 Comments
Meet the Controversial German Imam Accused of Brutally Beating His Wife & Pushing Sharia Law Read More
‘Self-Proclaimed Messiah’ & Unification Church Leader the Rev. Sun Myung Moon Has Died — Here’s His Life Story Read More
Business
- President Obama Issues Major ‘Green Energy’ Executive Order 385 Comments
- Germany’s Upcoming Court Ruling Will be Huge for the EU Read More
Ford Looks to Beat Toyota for Best-Selling Car in 2012 With This Model 151 Comments
Bernanke & QE3: Here’s What You Need to Know 100 Comments- ‘Extortion’: Why Did the Labor Department ‘Drop the Hammer’ on Oregon Farmers? 303 Comments
Technology
- This Is the Creationists‘ Response to Scientist Bill Nye’s Viral Pro-Evolution Video Claiming They Harm Children 417 Comments
‘TaserDrone’: Hackers Weaponize Quadcopter With Actual ‘Shocking’ Technology Read More
Ever Heard of the Wild ‘Burning Man’ Festival in the Middle of the Nev. Desert? Here’s Your Primer Read More
Stanford Develops Technology ‘Better Than Steroids’ for Athlete Recovery Read More
Have You Pretended to Know What ‘the Cloud’ Is? You’re Not Alone Read More
Submitting your tip... please wait!
porkandbeanz
Posted on March 2, 2012 at 9:29amthis is awesome!
Report Post »Servant of Jesus
Posted on February 29, 2012 at 7:42pmI work for a company that devised the “sip and puff” method of powering a motorized wheelchair. Sip for reverse and puff forward. This prototype is a fantastic improvement and I wish the designers great success. It will be a major improvement for those in desperate need of mobility.
Report Post »datapod
Posted on February 29, 2012 at 5:57pmOne word. Brilliant. *That* is American ingenuity.
Report Post »Stoic one
Posted on February 29, 2012 at 11:05amfascinating…
Report Post »voodoolife
Posted on February 29, 2012 at 11:02amThis is awesome!
Report Post »The Jewish Avenger
Posted on February 29, 2012 at 10:53amAnd dont worry, if they get cancer from it, its Bush’s fault… Get rid of the iPad and I might take it seriously
Report Post »freethinking
Posted on February 29, 2012 at 3:55pmlmao Thanks I needed that
Report Post »Salamander
Posted on February 29, 2012 at 7:55amThis is what happens when the hard of hearing become an engineer! They said ‘mouse’ and not ‘mouth’, dummie! (By the way–what a brilliant application of one’s mind–this invention will turn the world upside down for those that do not have the use of other ‘pointing’ devices! Anyone want to bet how long it will be before Prof. Stephen Hawking volunteers to learn how to use this to send text messages, write a blog, type papers and choose dinner from a menu! They need to quickly standardize the interface, alphabet, scrolling, etc., perhaps much like an iPhone, so that this new capability can work autotellers, select from menus, operate stoplights, work an elevator, tune a radio, operate a cd player, flush a toilet, ‘whistle’ for your dog, ring a doorbell, call for help (please forgive me, but I’m thinking “I‘ve’ fallen and I can’t get up!”), call the police, fire and rescue squad, etc., etc., etc.
Report Post »The Third Archon
Posted on February 29, 2012 at 3:24am“WHEELCHAIR CONTROLLED WITH ‘CLINICAL TONGUE PIERCING’”
Report Post »That’s got to be the coolest thing–until they invent ones you can control with your mind.
MYHEROISRON
Posted on February 29, 2012 at 7:20amBetter stay away from the peanut butter …
Report Post »Diane TX
Posted on February 29, 2012 at 3:22amHow great is that, that quads can control their own movements – without depending on others?
Report Post »MBLeo
Posted on February 29, 2012 at 2:20amImagine what would happen if you were a stutterer…
Report Post »The Third Archon
Posted on February 29, 2012 at 3:27amUh…you wouldn’t get it?
Although, I think stuttering only has to do with speech–depending upon the source of the stutter (i.e. whether or not it’s a physical tic or something psycho-linguistic, like a mental block or learning disability), they might be able to operate it just fine.
Report Post »Gumbercules
Posted on March 1, 2012 at 4:07am@MBLeo
I will appreciate your joke, while the moron above me gets a sense of humor and an imagination.
Report Post »LowIQGenius
Posted on February 29, 2012 at 2:09amSeriously, isn’t technology amazing?
Report Post »Salamander
Posted on February 29, 2012 at 7:59amBut not as amazing as those that invent with it! If we could just get our tax policies out of the way of our innovators, there would be no limit! (By the way, please note that this invention came out of one of our universities, albeit the engineering school!)
Report Post »Psychosis
Posted on February 29, 2012 at 12:57amdont let a liberal drive one …………their forked tongue would have them crashing into everyone
Report Post »TXPilot
Posted on February 29, 2012 at 1:36amI foresee a lawsuit coming, just as soon as the first person using this device sneezes and their chair throws them down a flight of stairs.
Report Post »