Inventions

Bhubaneswar: Young Scientist provides Expression to the Disabled

Sixteen-year-old Apurva Mishra, a young scientist, has developed a device that could transform the world of disabled people, especially those incapacitated by sever motor disease and unable to communicate properly.

Built on the lines of the equipment presently used by theoretical physicist Stephen William Hawking, the device is called "Glabenator" and helps its user express oneself. Once available in the market, the Glabenator would be a boon for all those without hands, legs and with speech impediments.

Apurva says that the Machine derives its name from "Glabella" a name for forehead musicals. It acts as a communicative device for the physically-challenged and quadriplegic. People suffering from paralysis can communicate using two musicals on their forehead with the help of this device.

The machine uses a sensor to take data from the movement of the eyebrows, interprets it by a small processing unit and uses a voice synthesizer to translate the information. A person who cannot move his body has to scroll a menu, select standard lines that will be voiced through a recorder and speaker. The best part about the Glabenator is its price. At just $32 apiece, it promises to be more than being just a steal.

The Glabenator displays several choices like food and clothing that a person may need in his day-to-day life. The user will have to wear special spectacles attached with the sensory rods to operate the machine.

Source: Teen gives voice to the disabled. The Hindustan Times, New Delhi, 14 July 2006.