Technologists often think that the solution to most problems can be solved with technology and when you ask people what can help them – they often also answer technology. For example on the Facebook page of Prize for life the patients with ALS were asked what can help them and here are the 12 things that they decided were important:
- I’m completely paralyzed but I still can feel itching. Help me scratch!
I need a suit that can move my limbs to preserve flexibility and mobility of the joints
3. I could benefit from pillow for my wheelchair that can change pressure area
4. While I’m in shower I could use a wheelchair with multi-axis head support adjustment
5. I want to be able to control of wheelchair movement via eye tracking
6. I need an alarm button that is able to:
i. work at night when I’m not connected to the eye control system
ii. ring when I’m using the headset and the speakers are on mute
iii. flow on my computer screen regardless the software I’m currently using
7. When I’m outdoor the eye control system cannot operate
8. I need a device that will help me to properly position the eye control system
9. It would be highly beneficial to have an interface between my ventilation machine and computer so that respiratory measures will be displayed on the screen
10. I wish I could be able to play cards
11. I would like to be able to draw pictures again
12. I want to control a Quadcopter
What do you think?