Assistive Technologies

Over the years, we've heard about several experimental systems which would allow people to control computers or other devices via their mouth. One such tool should soon be commercially available, however, in the form of the MouthPad.

People suffering from ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) often have difficulty raising their arms, due to deterioration of cells in their brain and spinal cord. A new wearable system is designed to help, utilizing a pair of under-arm balloons.

Garrett Brown invented the Steadicam, a tool that revolutionized the field of film production. His latest creation is a device known as the Zeen, which helps mobility-challenged users not only to get around, but also to stand up and sit down.

It can be difficult for blind people to learn to read braille, as they don't have any way of seeing which character the dots that they're feeling represent. That's where the BrailleWear glove comes in, as it verbally tells them.

Ordinarily, we associate mouthguards with sports such as boxing and football. An experimental new one, however, could allow people who lack the use of their hands to control electronic devices – and it would do so by tracking their bite patterns.

As their sense of balance deteriorates, seniors are at an increased risk of potentially debilitating falls. A new wearable assistive robot could help, by detecting and preventing such falls before they actually occur.

Among other things, people with Parkinson's disease suffer from a slowness of movement and a stiffness of the muscles. A new wearable device may help alleviate those symptoms, by buzzing the user in the chest.

Three years ago, we heard about an assistive upper-body exoskeleton called the Paexo Shoulder. Its German manufacturer, Ottobock, has announced an updated model, now going by the name of the Ottobock Shoulder.

Although many of us may have forgotten about Google Glass, the technology is now the base of a set of glasses designed to assist the blind. Known as Envision Glasses, they utilize AI to verbally tell their wearer what they're looking at.

Although there are various systems that detect quadriplegics' head movements, most such setups are limited to the control of wheelchairs. Such is not the case, however, with the MagTrack system.

Last year, German Bionic revealed a fourth generation of its Cray X exoskeleton, keeping things light by employing a carbon fiber frame. Now the 5th gen has been announced, which is reported to be the first of its kind to support two body regions.

Lower-body exoskeletons don't merely thrust the wearer's legs forward – they move them based on the user's existing gait. A team at Harvard University has now developed what is claimed to be a better method of gauging that gait, utilizing ultrasound.