Tiny Magnet Helps Wheelchair Bound
(Washington, DC) -- A magnet, about the size of a grain of rice could change the way disabled people steer a wheelchair or operate a computer. A research team at the Georgia Institute of Technology says the tiny magnet is implanted under the tongue. A headset equipped with special sensors detects the magnet's movements and transmits wireless signals to a portable computer. Researchers say the tongue was chosen rather than hands because it is controlled by the brain through the spinal cord and a nerve that generally escapes damage in severe spinal cord injuries. The team unveiled their device at a meeting of the Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America. |