The Tongue Drive System Enables People with Severe Disabilities to Be More Independent and Productive

Controlling a powered wheelchair or a computer mouse with the movement of your tongue seems like something only seen in a science fiction movie, but recent clinical trials show that this assistive technology developed by engineers at the Georgia Institute of Technology can help people with severe disabilities unable to move their arms lead more independent lives.

A tiny magnet is attached to the tongue and works like a mouse pad with the tongue as a cursor. By moving the tongue forward, a wireless signal is sent to sensors in a headset causing the wheelchair to move forward. Moving the tongue backwards causes the chair to go into reverse. Unlike other power wheelchairs that rely on a sip and puff method, this chair only needs a headset and tongue chip, which is less conspicuous for the user.

Technology has enabled me to remain productive and to maintain a full time job after my disabling accident that left me paralyzed from the neck down. As a C5/C6 quadriplegic I can’t move my fingers, but thanks to computers, adaptive equipment, and the limited movement left in my arms I am still able to transform the thoughts and ideas in my brain into valuable business contributions.

Unfortunately, remaining productive has been more challenging to some people with a more severe disability than me. Therefore it is needless to say that I am thrilled to read that this latest technology also allows more persons with a severe disability to use a computer more easily. Assistive technologies like these open the door to more people who would like to join the workforce in today’s information age where your brain is much more important than your physical capabilities. Now, if we can only help business leaders understand these potentials…

More info about the Tongue Drive System can be found at the Georgia Tech Research News Site or by reading the Clinical Trial Report by Virtual Medical Worlds.