I’ m a geek
LifewareIntegra
By: Gonzalo Valderrama Guardia
Nowadays, people with physical disabilities have a hard time keeping up with the times, as their limitations will not allow them to have access to certain services and technologies, including computers and the internet. Luckily, a group of Chilean students came up with a solution for them, so that disabilities will not limit their access to technology and, therefore, to social integration.
In 2011, a group of three computer science students from Federico Santa Maria Technical University developed LifewareIntegra, a program that allows handicapped people to use computers. They combined a head device with sensors, that are able to pick up brain activity, and software, that interprets this information, to let the user have full access to a computer and its applications through a set of tools developed by its creators. The head device was originally created for gaming purposes, but these students had the vision to give it a whole new purpose.
LifewareIntegra was tried for the first time on Jenifer Astorga, a 26-year-old woman who lives with quadriplegia. The test was a huge success and she seemed really happy afterwards. If the software is further developed, it might one day help a lot of other people like Jenifer to be rehabilitated and get a job.
Hopefully, more brilliant ideas like this one will help to achieve better life quality for those who are differently abled. What else in the world of games can be used to make the world a better place?
For more information, visit:
http:// www. lifeware. cl / new /#!/ pageLifewareIntegra
http:// www. 3ie. cl / incubacion / noticias / 2012 / 11 / 30 / life ware-integra-proyecto-incubado-en-3ie-recibe-premioavonni
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