Here is something that may interest all the robotic suits fans out there. A new robotic suit aims to help disabled people move by reading brain signals and this would have far reaching benefits for the disabled and elderly as well. The device is known as the HAL or Hybrid Assistive Limb. It is a computerized suit, which comes with sensors and it, reads brain signals and directs limb movement through the skin.

It is operated by a 22-pound battery and is worn as a belt around the waist. A Japanese company Cyberdyne, will manufacture these suits and may cost $1,500 for a monthly rental fee. What it does is, it goes ahead and captures the brain signals and relays them to mechanical leg braces strapped to the thighs and knees, which then provide robotic assistance to people as they walk. It still is not known when and how the HAL will go on sale and what it’s pricing is going to be.

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Realizing the plight of the disabled, the Jedlicka Institute for Disabled children, Czech Republic, has come up with the Wink Technology to make their lives easier and worthwhile. The researchers and students of this institute have aimed to make the computer controllable for the handicapped and this has been made possible by placing a light detector or a camera close to the user’s eye. It has been designed to detect eye movements. The most interesting feature of this light detector is that it can not only perceive eye movements but can also perceive head movements.

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The tongue is a really important part of our body, isn’t it? It’s what we use to taste food, to communicate and more importantly, we stick it out to send cheeky messages to people who annoy us. It is believed that our tongue is not connected to the spinal cord so there is no damage caused in the event of spinal cord injury. The Georgia Tech team has come up with a tongue-based apparatus for the disabled population as a means of communication.

It may not be as similar to the GRAVITONUS device, which we saw earlier. The GRAVITONUS device  acts as an alternative control system for a handicapped user. This new device by the Georgia Tech team, Mavis Beacon tongue typing is featured as a pointing device from a small tongue-mounted magnet and sensors near the cheeks. It has been designed where there is enough interactivity and communication much greater than the “sip and puff” input methods. Let’s wish that Mavis Beacon tongue –typing and presence of haptic feedback will not take too long and is on its way.

Via: Switched