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.
Last year, 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.
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