Facial gestures activate electronic devices thanks to IPN diadem

* It is a tool for people with motor disabilities

By Angelica Guerrero

Mexico, Jun. 13 (Notimex).- Turning on and off electronic devices, rolling a wheelchair or making a phone call, is possible with just a face gesture.

For this purpose, a diadem with sensors that can be used via a wire or wirelessly was developed, and that allows identifying the movement of the cheeks, forehead or the inferior lip to order diverse tasks to the electronic device.

With the name of FACECONTROL, the main objective of its creators, students of the National Polytechnic Institute (IPN, for its acronym in Spanish), is to provide a tool to people with motor disabilities, who face problems to move limbs of hands and legs.

The students of the Center for Scientific and Technological Studies (CECyT 12, for its acronym in Spanish) "José María Morelos" in Mexico City showed Notimex that with the placement of the diadem a radio can be turned on and off, a lamp or make calls with only the move your lips or inflate a cheek.

Also, they made a wheelchair advance and then stop with just frowning the forehead through glasses, part of the device of FACECONTROL.

Perla Chavez, Mitzi Rodríguez, Daniela Pérez, Gema Franco, Vianey Alonso and Axel Díaz, students of the IT Technician career - the majority of 19 years of age - worked in the device for more than a year.

"Knowing that we could create an option for people with disabilities so they can do things that they could not do before is something that feels very nice, and personally, I would like to continue working," said Mitzi Rodríguez.

For his part, the teacher and project advisor, Jorge Alberto Florencia Lemus, pointed out that this is a mechatronics work, as it uses various areas such as mechanical, electrical, computer and sensory.

"I try to talk to the boys, I try to raise awareness and tell them that the knowledge we acquire should always be applied in positive aspects and FACECONTROL is proof of this," he said.

He also informed that according to the resources they can obtain, they will work on their tuning and miniaturization, although for the time being it is already in the process of registration before the Mexican Institute of Industrial Property (IMPI, for its acronym in Spanish).

Meanwhile, consultant Raffaella Melina Macías revealed that the device could be for sale at 300 dollars or 6 thousand Mexican pesos, although the price could be adjusted according to the number of sensors and adaptations to the devices that is desired to create. NTX/AGL/EVG/JCG