Eye-blinks communication vehicle: A prototype

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a paralytic disorder that affects muscles by weakening them, until reaching a certain stage of immobility, where the patient could only move his/her eyes. ALS-inflicted victims have been increasing over the past few years with no cure to be found. This has lead to a proliferation of special-aid gadgets, which are tailored to improve the life conditions of those patients. This paper proposes a cost-efficient prototype for an intelligent aid-vehicle that works by interpreting the blinking movements of the ALS patient's eyes. The aid-vehicle is equipped with a pad that controls the motion of the motors, a virtual keyboard that can be used to type its user's thoughts via eye movement and blinking, and several sensors that aid to stop the vehicle whenever an obstacle is detected. The aid-vehicle is designed to be used indoors and outdoors. It is user-friendly, easy to manipulate, and offers ALS patients a mean to be less dependent on others, and a way to communicate with the outside world at an affordable price, with the hope that it would contribute to the longevity of ALS patients.