High school students laser-enable the disabled

The students on the Palo Alto High School InvenTeam arrived at the Stanford Cool Products Expo this year with a new system designed to allow quadriplegics to operate all kinds of gadgets and appliances. The user shakes his head to activate a glasses-mounted laser, which he can then point at sensors embedded in an array of custom triggers placed around the home. So far the team's nailed the basic on/off circuit needed for lights, fans, and a pet food dispenser (which is currently shelling out M&M's to Expo attendees), but the real noise is their plan to extend the system by building a small robot that will perform various tasks. According to the school, team captain Guy Davidson was only kidding a little when he said the team hoped "to have [the user] vacuuming in a few weeks." While this isn't the first time we've seen lasers used to assist the disabled, you gotta wonder what's going to happen to their altruisitic spirit when these kids realize they can also just headmount one of those crazy high-powered laser pointers.

Read - CNET Cool Products Expo video (second item)
Read - Palo Alto High School press release (6MB PDF)

[Ate @ Apr 21st 2007 11:38AM]

Resistance is Futile

[Nerdtalker @ Apr 21st 2007 11:41AM]

I'm sorry, but, does anybody else seriously think there's something very, very wrong about that photo?

[Daniel Shaffer @ Apr 21st 2007 11:58AM]

for the record, the team mentor is just snipping the tape being used to mount the laser. the boards were designed by students and soldered by students. the assembly code that runs on the processors was written by students.

[Cyrus @ Apr 21st 2007 12:14PM]

I think this is really cool,
good work guys
Cyrus

[Variblex @ Apr 21st 2007 12:15PM]

is that jim carey?

[Chuckles McGee @ Apr 21st 2007 1:56PM]

The infrared laser-on-glasses thing connected to a computer for quadriplegics is nothing new. I've done a lot of work using that setup to help quadriplegics type out scripts. It's great that the concept has been expanded to include control over appliances and the like. Hmmm, perhaps the whole EEG (brainwave reading) cap idea could be useful for more precise control over things? The current laser setup just detects when the person blinks or double blinks, meaning they can only say "ok" or "no" to an item, making it less than a breeze for them to use items.

[PALY Alum @ Apr 21st 2007 2:00PM]

As a Palo Alto High alum, congrats to the team for making it on Engadget and more importantly, doing something awesome for the community!

[Aaron Peckler @ Apr 21st 2007 4:22PM]

hey its Rasmus in the Backgound GOOOOOO DENMARK!!!!!!!!!

[TimD @ Apr 21st 2007 4:24PM]

They're quadriplegics... with frickin' LASERS on their heads. How frickin' cool is that?

[Jim @ Apr 21st 2007 4:32PM]

"...with frickin' laser beams attached to their frickin' heads!"

[o0adam0o @ Apr 21st 2007 4:59PM]

Im sure this will be usefull for the lazy.

[tchiseen @ Apr 21st 2007 8:14PM]

Thank god TimD said it before I did. Austin Powers ftw.

[Singe @ Apr 22nd 2007 2:18AM]

"...some sharks..with..freakin lazers, man!!"


but seriously..this is a simple idea but it has huge potential, sort of like a clap-on clap-off thingy with out the clapping.

jolly good show.

[Kibi @ Apr 22nd 2007 7:18AM]

Anyone read Rainbows End yet? Ensemble programming here we come

[hENRY eVANS @ Apr 22nd 2007 8:26PM]

EXCUSE ME,BUT CHUCK mCgEE IS ALL WET. THIS IS VERY DIFFERENT FROM THE HEADTRACKERS COMMONLY USED TO TYPE, AND HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH 'MIND READERS '.

[hENRY eVANS @ Apr 22nd 2007 8:46PM]

ps this thing has about as much to do with a blink sensor as toothpaste . it looks cool-and that's coming from a guy who uses a head tracker everyday because I am quadriplegic myself