technology Think2Switch makes it possible to read patients’ brainwaves and map them to switches on physical objects. For example, a person can remotely activate a kitchen faucet simply by thinking of a specific gesture.

Despite appearances He can’t read minds or anythingsays Eli Kinney-Lang, the principal investigator of the BCI4Kids initiative from the University of Calgary. It recognizes changes in attention or, for example, when someone wants to move their hand. The way the brain is built, these waves are close enough to the surface to be picked up.he explains.

In recent years, there have been some technological advances related to direct neural interfaces (IND) to control, for example, an exoskeleton or a robotic arm. technology Think2Switch rather I want to simplify the use ofINDIANA.

As the associate professor at the Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine at the University of Alberta explains, Kim AdamsMany families already have items that work with switches, so offering them this less complex option was only natural. The beauty of the system lies in its simplicityit sums it up.

For the Sonnenberg family, technology has enabled their daughter Claire, who suffers from cerebral palsy and dystonia, to be more involved in family activities. She’s always had a role, but now it’s an active, independent rolesaid his mother.

The 6.5-year-old can now help prepare meals, control kitchen appliances or play with her brothers using toys that work with an electric switch. We are so privileged to be part of this program and I hope that soon all children will be able to try itconcludes Stephanie Sonnenberg, Claire’s mother.

Think2Switch has also grown into a business and now wants to expand the use of its technology to other families and children who could benefit. The number of children who have been able to test this technology so far has not been disclosed.

There are other uses for other people […] Our philosophy is that if you design things for children, they can easily be adapted later for adults, which is not necessarily the case, on the contrary.says lead researcher Eli Kinney-Lang.

To Think2SwitchNearly 3.5 million Canadians require assistive and adaptive technology every day.

With files by Jamie McCannel