Science has just made tongue piercing a lot useful than just a fashion statement. It will soon be use by paralyzed people to control their wheelchair - the Tongue Drive System.
This system allows users to navigate a wheelchair by propelling a magnetic device in their tongue in what ever direction they would, pretty much like using a joystick in computer games.
Associated Press reported that developers of the Tongue Drive system believe it will be far more efficient than the known “sip-and-puff” technology which allows users to control wheelchair by blowing into a hose.
It has also been reported by a team of US researchers that 11 people paralyzed from the neck quickly got the hang of using their tongue in operating their wheelchair faster but as precise as they were using the “sip-and-puff”.
However, this marvelous new system has only been laboratory tested and researchers admitted that it still needs to be proven outside the lab before making it available in the market.
A spinal cord-injured patient Jason DiSanto was among the first to have his tongue pierced to test the system back in 2011. He said in an interview that the device is “really powerful because it’s so intuitive”, he added “The first time I did it, people thought I was driving it for years” .
Director Maysam Ghovanloo plans to enhance the system more so in time users will be able to also control the lights or TV with their tongues.
Source: HERE
