Often times we discuss the possibility of advancements in technology for the purpose of entertainment rather than function. Even though it may seem as if the latest Snapchat filter update will greatly impact your life, the reality is that it will not ultimately change the entire way you interact with the world in the long-term. For individuals with motor neurone diseases, the potential for communication through eye-gaze technology is more than simply putting on the latest Google Glass to record a cool fireworks show. For some, it can be the only thing keeping a person from feeling trapped in their own deteriorating body.
ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease progressively shuts down the function of voluntary muscles in the body. This disease attacks the nerve cells that can be found in the brain and spinal cord. Although there has been some breakthrough research in recent light of funding through the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, the only treatments available are limited to slowing down symptoms rather than curing them completely. Because of this loss of voluntary function, eventually individuals with these types of disease are limited to a small range of movement. Because the ability to blink or move the eye muscles can be one of the last controllable body parts, technology has been focused on picking up these seemingly minuscule movements and translating them through a speech-generating device.
A famous example of this can be seen in the life of Stephen Hawking, arguably one of the most brilliant scientific minds currently alive today. But even individuals who are not well-known published theoretical physicists still deserve access to express their uninhibited mind to those around them. As technology improves, so do the possibilities of communication as it expands to allow individuals suffering from a motor neurone disease to be able to speak, write, compose music and even paint through personalized software and controls. This technology is rapidly evolving through open-source and lower cost options but there are still some difficulties, including the word per minute rate that is able to be captured. This can inhibit normal conversation rhythms or even pose the risk for “brain hacking” should someone’s system become compromised. Ultimately, these types of programs will only become more fine tuned as time goes on and be able to provide vital information and a sense of identity for users who need it most.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/oct/16/eyes-have-it-motor-neurone-disease-technology-talk-blink
Image: https://www.pexels.com/photo/eye-face-eyebrow-eyelid-18809/
I found this article to be extremely eye opening, especially to find out that technology used for all the new and exciting Snapchat filters could be used to help explore technology to actually help improve someone’s life. I think that instead of spending so much time and money coming up with so many Snapchat filters, we should be focusing on using this time and money to create technology that could help someone with ALS communicate or control their movement, for example. It is way more important in life to use our technology for advancements and improvement of human lives, rather than using these technologies for mostly fun and games. As a society, we should be prioritizing the useful technological advancements such as eye-gaze technology for helping people with disabilities live a more productive life rather than focusing on filters that don’t contribute to much more than making us smile.
https://www.prentrom.com/prc_advantage/eye-gaze-and-access-technologies
I think this type of technology in the field of disabilities is absolutely cutting edge. I often think that we spend too much time coming up with new technology for cool gadgets and updates for our devices or just the next new fad. If we have the capability to continuously
explore new areas of technology then we should cater this work to help aid those with terminal and crippling illnesses that could make their lives easier and improved. For example if somehow we came up with a motorized glove that people with motor disorders or paraplegics that they could use their brain or voice to activate the glove that could move their hands. Using technology for disorders is diseases is a new field with much room for improvement.
As I read through this article I definitely related to the Snapchat filter opener. I know people that obsess about the different filters that Snapchat releases everyday. But, I did not know that the technology used by Snapchat could have such an impact on people who may be facing life threatening diseases. As this kind of technology keeps improving I can definitely see how it can be helpful to people who may be suffering from ALS. Hopefully the computer savvy workers can keep improving on this kind of technology and can keep helping the people who need it most, not us Snapchat addicts.