People with quadriplegia suffer from some of the greatest limitations in physical ability, not being able to do many of the simplest tasks. The reality, though, is that these limitations can be conquered in novel ways by adapting existing technologies for use by disabled people. Case in point is the Winkymote, a project headed by Katia Vega, that allows a severely paralyzed former jujitsu fighter to operate a TV by blinking his eyes.
The Winkymote is operated thanks to the Empowder material that was developed to sense the movement of a person’s skin. It hides much of the electronic components and looks transparent, so sticking it over the eyelids of the user doesn’t immediately convert him into the Borg from Star Trek. The system runs on the Clio Arduino open-source microcontroller and interfaces with an infrared TV remote to allow the user to change channels and turn it on and off.
Project page: Winkymote…
(hat tip: PSFK)