Tongue drive system for disabled people
Washington: Scientists in the US have developed a path breaking technology that could potentially prove to be a boon for individuals with disabilities by facilitating their interaction with the environment simply by moving their tongue.
The device, 'Tongue Drive system,' developed by engineers at the Atlanta–based Georgia Institute of Technology, could help individuals with severe disabilities lead more independent lives by helping them to operate a computer and control a powered wheelchair by moving their tongue.
"This device could revolutionise the field of assistive technologies by helping individuals with severe disabilities, such as those with high–level spinal cord injuries, return to rich, active, independent and productive lives," said Maysam Ghovanloo, an assistant professor in the Georgia Tech School of Electrical and Computer Engineering.
The assistive technology, which is to appear in the Journal of Rehabilitation Research and Development, was described at the 'Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America (RESNA) Annual Conference in Washington, D.C last month.
"We chose the tongue to operate the system because unlike hands and feet, which are controlled by the brain through the spinal cord, the tongue is directly connected to the brain by a cranial nerve that generally escapes damage in severe spinal cord injuries or neuromuscular diseases," said Ghovanloo, who started working on this project about three years ago at North Carolina State University.
"Tongue movements are also fast, accurate and do not require much thinking, concentration or effort," he was quoted as saying in a report by the Science Daily online on wednesday.
Source: http://www.hindu.com
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