Tongue pierce lets the paralyzed drive wheelchairs

[Jesus Malverde]

An experimental device is letting paralyzed people drive wheelchairs simply by flicking their tongue in the right direction.

Key to this wireless system: Users get their tongue pierced with a magnetic stud that resembles jewelry and acts like a joystick, in hopes of offering them more mobility and independence.

Researchers reported Wednesday that 11 people paralyzed from the neck down rapidly learned to use the tongue device to pilot their wheelchairs through an obstacle course full of twists and turns, and to operate a computer, too.

"It's really powerful because it's so intuitive," said Jason DiSanto, 39, of Atlanta, who was among the first spinal cord-injured patients to get his tongue pierced for science and try out the system. "The first time I did it, people thought I was driving for, like, years."

http://www.sfgate.com/news/medical/article/Tongue-pierce-lets-the-paralyzed-drive-wheelchairs-5017046.php

[Warpy]

1. That is a great improvement over the "blow" controls that exist now

because it's more intuitive. Every stinking war we go through seems to produce a huge amount of improvements for permanently injured people. War. That's the only thing it's good for. Otherwise, absolutely nothing.

[NV Whino]

2. Here's another way paraplegics can participate in a world that could have lft them behind

http://www.ted.com/talks/henry_evans_and_chad_jenkins_meet_the_robots_for_humanity.html?utm_source=newsletter_weekly_2013-11-23&utm_campaign=newsletter_weekly&utm_medium=email&utm_content=talk_of_the_week_button

Sorry, can't seem to imbed the video fm the iPad.

[Jesus Malverde]

3. Very cool. Thanks...nt

[LadyHawkAZ]

4. Very cool! n/t