Sniff-Driven Wheelchair Helps Quadriplegics Move Freely

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No, you read that right–the whole “follow your nose” joke might well apply here, but the folks out at the Weizmann Institute of Science have developed a system that allows a wheelchair to be driven by sniffing.

Now, we’ve all seen control devices that work by breathing and sipping air, or with chin controls, but this may well be among the first that lets the nose do the walking. Basically, the system works by outfitting a sensor in the nostril that measures changes in air pressure. Then, the sensor relays that information to a computer by USB connection (you’ve got to love that little port–it does so much!), which in turn relays commands to the chair.

Early word says that not only is the system highly accurate, allowing volunteers to travel a maze and play computer games with nearly the same speed as a mouse and keyboard, but also very inexpensive. The prototype was built for $358, and if built in large batches might well be half that.

An exciting development, no mistake, and we might well see these sooner rather than later.