The smartphone has so much potential, but most people rely on their eyes and vision to use the touch screens. Sumit Dagar created the braille smartphone, with a screen comprised of a grid of pins that form shapes and characters when messages arrive, using “Shape Memory Alloy” technology.
Created by a mother to help her son with cerebral palsy, the Firefly Upsee is a harness that allows children to strap in alongside their parents or caretakers and go through the motions of walking, step by step. Israeli Debby Elnatan came up with the concept and chose the Northern Ireland-based manufacturer Leckey to mass produce the product, allowing special needs children around the world the chance to “walk.”
Designed for people with limited mobility, the DynaVox EyeMax allows users to control the device with just their eye movements, giving commands by blinking or gazing in particular directions. The DynaVox EyeMax can be used for a variety of activities, including watching TV, reading, using the computer, or even speaking.
Those without the ability to move their bodies can still use the computer, thanks to the virtual mouse. Sultan Ahmad Sultan Al Sharif, an engineering student in Dubai, invented a mouse that is controlled through the movement of the eyes, using the computer’s embedded camera to move the on-screen mouse. Clicks are performed by closing one eye or the other.
Neil Harbisson suffers from achromatopsia, a disease in which you can only see in black and white. He created the Eyeborg to help him and others identify colors. Strapped to the head, the Eyeborg emits audible tones through bone conduction to identify 360 different hues, giving color back to those with the disease.
The wheelchair-bound often have difficulty on surfaces that are not flat, but Dean Kamen’s iBot tackles that obstacle, and more. Designed to navigate any terrain with self-balancing technology, the iBot can even climb stairs, as well as elevate to “stand” at eye level.
It’s a bionic arm. Seriously. This DARPA project is meant for those with upper arm amputations, and gives the user immense control over the prosthetic using their minds. While it seems fantastic, and is a long way from being commonplace, the DEKA Arm is a huge step in amputation rehabilitation.
Epilepsy is a scary disease, scarier still in that those who suffer from it are hit with seizures without warning. The Seizure Monitoring and Response Transducer (SMART) belt is able to detect signs of seizures and send messages to guardians or predetermined caretakers with a wireless signal. The SMART Belt was created by a group of senior engineering students at Rice University in Texas in May 2013.
While those who are wheelchair-bound have long had access to cars that allow them to drive, they still have to deal with the time-consuming hassle of loading in and out of regular cars. The Kenguru Electric Car, created by Stacy Zoern, eliminates this step and allows drivers to remain in their wheelchairs. While the car can only reach 25 miles per hour and is not permitted on highways, it is still an enormous step forward for the disabled to regain control over their own transportation.
The Tek Robotic Mobilization Device is essentially a re-imagined wheelchair that allows users to switch to a standing position and motor around that way, while safely strapped in. It allows those with paraplegia or other walking disabilities to regain some freedom of movement and move in the world differently.
