People with Severe Speech and Motor Impairment (SSMI) find it challenging to operate computer devices on their own.
Severe Speech and Motor Impairment is a condition that is caused by disabilities such as cerebral palsy.
In a way to help such people, the research team at the Centre for Product Design and Manufacturing (CPDM), Indian Institute of Science (IISc.) has come up with a robotic arm that can be used by eye movement using a computer interface.
The interface shall have a webcam and a computer and it would not be like other eye gaze-tracking devices that make use of head-mounted systems.
For coming up with such an invention, the team had worked with the students who were having SSMI at Vidya Sagar, which is an educational institute for children with disabilities in Chennai.
Students with cerebral palsy are not able to focus on a single point in their visual field and are also comfortable to look at all portions of the visual field equally.
This modern invention will make the lives of disabled people easier and they will be felt that they have been included in the society.
We hope more such research teams to come up with inventions to make the world of disabled people a better place to live and lead a productive life.
By Sahana Iyer
