Wink right: turn right. Wink left: turn left. Clench teeth: stop.

This hands-free wheelchair created by researchers at Miyazaki University, designed for those paralyzed by the waist down, is controlled solely by the user's facial expression.

Watch it roll with just the blink of an eye:

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/v/mob0BwEyHqo?version=3&hl=en_US expand=1]

DigInfo reports that patients who slowly lose control of their limbs -- like those with muscular dystrophy or ALS -- and can no longer control a joystick, will still want to move around independently. The creators are working on a wireless system that would detect facial controls through special, sensing glasses.

The researchers are testing the wheelchair technology on patients with muscular dystrophy now and hope to have a model commercially available next year.

(H/T Gizmodo)