A clench of the jaw or a few twitches of a cheek can now propel a wheelchair into action thanks to a collaboration between dedicated individuals.
A group of five mechanical engineers at the University of Central Florida took on the task of designing an idea from the non-profit and UCF-based Limbitless Solutions. The product is a 3D printed box with electromyography (EMG) sensors attached that allows a hands- free operation of a wheelchair. The sensors pick up the pulse of facial muscle movement, which then makes its way to the box that transfers these movement into analog signals. As a result, these movements trigger the joystick present on the majority of wheelchairs on the market today. Christian Rodriguez, one of the team members, said more independence for quadriplegics is now a reality.
“Facial muscles are usually the only muscles they can use, so we can use the temporal muscles to turn left and right and go backward and forward,” Rodriguez said.
This product is universal and can be transferred from wheelchair to wheelchair. Another advantage of this product is the low cost in comparison to other options. While other hand-free wheel chairs can go above $1,000, this option costs around $300. The team and Limbitless Solutions hope this will provide more independence regardless of financial situation.
The name the team chose for their end of the semester project….Project Xavier, and for a very appropriate reason.
“We decided this as we were watching, of course, X-men, and we noticed that a lot of people of thought Professor Charles Xavier was controlling his wheelchair with his mind. And a lot of people saw us using our wheelchair and thought the same, so we though it would be a good fit,” Rodriguez said.
Another team member, Steven Hellmann, hopes to see the EMG controlled wheelchair go beyond the prototype and reach mass production.
“We’re hoping to get the final version completed that is safe and reliable which can be delivered to anyone who needs it,” Hellmann said.
Rodriguez said that there is interest coming from all over to utilize this innovative technology. He said Limbitless Solutions is the first to use EMG sensors to control a wheelchair.
