For those paralyzed from the neck down, controlling a wheelchair even with a joystick is impossible. Researchers at Japan’s Miyazaki University have created a wheelchair that solves that problem with electrodes affixed to the face. Certain motions will cause the wheelchair to move, stop, and turn–and it can all be done above the neck. An array of electrodes are attached to the face, and a few distinct motions control it. Clenching the jaw starts it moving forward, and a hard wink on either eye–hard enough to tense the cheek muscle, which triggers the electrode–indicates a turn. A second clenched jaw stops the chair.
