Editing High Tech Glove Stymies Parkinson s Disease Tremors

A GyroGlove that counters tremors caused by Parkinson's disease contains inner workings that spin faster than a jet turbine, and its creators at GyroGear are keen to reduce its size in future versions<br><br>Roberta Wilson-Garrett looked at the glove keeping her right hand steady and smiled.<br><br>At bay for the moment were tremors caused by Parkinson's disease affecting her muscle control.<br><br>She could do things others take for granted, like write crisply with a pen or hold a cup of coffee without spilling.<br><br>The reprieve shared by the Canadian woman at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas came thanks to a GyroGlove.<br><br>"It's a life changer for me," said Wilson-Garrett, describing how GyroGlove stopped tremors that make seemingly simple tasks like getting dressed a challenge.<br><br>GyroGear has built the world's most advanced hand stabilizer, with strategic partners that include Chinese technology group Foxconn, according to founder Dr. Faii Ong.<br><br>The key to GyroGlove is an attached gyroscope about the size of a hockey puck but with a disk inside that spins faster than a jet engine turbine, according to Ong.<br><br>"That glove is made in the same factory that makes your MacBook Pros," Ong said, referring to Foxconn being a supplier for Silicon Valley superstar Apple.<br><br>The plan is to miniaturize the gyroscope with future iterations of the glove.<br><br>"We want to bring the focus away from the disease and back onto the fact that this is human life we are talking about," Ong said.<br><br>"That is what tech should do; it's more important to focus back on ourselves as people and to understand how we can actually make people's lives better."<br><br>- Gadget guide dog -<br><br>Massachusetts-based GyroGear was one of an array of companies at CES seeking to use tech to improve life for people with infirmities or disabilities<br><br>Startups like Glidance and  [https://getb8.us slot machine play online] stalwarts like Amazon were among companies packed into a section of the Venetian hotel and [https://getb8.us casino] displaying technology meant to improve life for people with disabilities.<br><br>Glidance founder Amos Miller, who lost his vision early in life, demonstrated a compact, two-wheeled device that acts as a guide dog of sorts for  [https://getb8.us fact gambling online] walkers who can't see.<br><br>Glide can be given a destination and lead the way for someone holding its handle, or be easily pushed along sensing obstacles and steering users along safe routes.<br><br>"You simply walk, and the wheels will steer," Miller told AFP as he demonstrated the device.<br><br>"I can tell it where to go if I want, but it will resist me bumping into anything."<br><br>The Seattle-based startup plans to launch a beta program for Glide later this year and make it as easy to afford as a smartphone.<br><br>Another Seattle startup called OneCourt has created what looks like a toy sized replica of an American football field which converts real-time updates from a sports match into vibrations.<br><br>Visually impaired sports fans can place a hand on the faux field to feel action playing out in a game.<br><br>The device can work with a gamut of sports including tennis, hockey, and American football.<br><br>"We're excited to be making live sports more accessible to people with visual disabilities," said OneCourt chief executive Jerred Mace.<br><br>"Basically, trying to get people closer to the action."<br><br>Vibrations on the device provide a sense of factors such as how fast a ball or puck is moving, where players are on a field and how they are maneuvering.<br><br>Mace hopes the yet-to-be released device will be made available through partnerships with teams or leagues, free for use by visually impaired fans at games.<br><br>Innovations on display at CES included technology-packed glasses for the blind from Lumen that let wearers know where it is safe to walk, even avoiding puddles.<br><br>There were glasses with frames that doubled as hearing aids as well as eyewear to offset visual impairments or even dyslexia.<br><br>Offerings from Israel-based Orcam included handheld scanners that read and even translate text for students with learning disabilities or young immigrants just learning English.<br><br>"Accessibility is the best use of technology," said Techsponential analyst Avi Greengart.<br><br>If you enjoyed this write-up and you would certainly like to obtain more facts concerning [https://getb8.us addiction online gambling] kindly see our internet site.