Kyleigh has an eye-controlled computer on her wheelchair but something as simple as her bedroom door was still beyond her reach… until now! [Bill Binko], recently filmed a demo of an automatic, IoT door opener built for the young girl with cerebral palsy. [Bill] is a co-founder of ATMakers, an organization that enables makers interested in assistive technologies to collaborate with users to improve quality of life.
Using her eye tracking tablet (PRC Device), Kyleigh has two new icons that make the relevant call to a website, pushing a simple command to either open or close her bedroom door. The device attached to the door uses an Adafruit M0 WiFi Feather board, a DC stepper motor and wheel, a UBEC buck converter, and a potentiometer.
Since other family members are also going to be opening and closing the door, there’s potentiometer which measures the door position for proper operation next time Kyleigh wishes to use the door. The installation also maintains a fairly inconspicuous profile for the assistance it gives — the ‘brain’ is enclosed in a small box on the door, with the motor only slightly larger on the door’s base.
[Bill] believes the project has a few quibbles and wants to work out a smaller wait before the open/close process is executed and optimizing the open/close speed. You have to check out the video below to see that it works really really. We’re also excited to see Kyleigh using her gaze control to talk to an Amazon Echo. [Bill] foresee a door control improvement that links it to Alexa. And how much did it cost to improve the quality of life for this young girl? $70.
We love seeing makers help people, and cannot wait to see what 2018 will bring! If you’re looking for more inspiration, don’t miss the eye-controlled wheelchair project called Eyedrivomatic which won the 2015 Hackaday Prize. There’s also the top Assistive Technology projects from the Hackaday Prize.
[Thanks for the tip, jme!]
My wife has mild cerebral palsy, so I really appreciate advancements in assistive technology.
Wouldn’t it be nice if all doors were Star Trek doors, knowing when you want to use them or not.
Pneumatic pocket door with proximity + face recognition
Doors are (one of) the names of wheelchair user’s lives; this is a really elegant solution.
inspiring work, we need more “hacks” like this
Now THAT is awesome! What a glorious smile on that kiddo’s face! Anything that makes a child happy is is good in my book, and anything that makes a special needs child happy and benefits their life is even better. :)
Oh, and there’s also the thought of how this sort of thing could benefit me as my own illnesses progress.
Awesome idea and application. Kudos to the authors.
That is truly incredible and very inspiring thanks for posting this.
This is making me cry. Nothing is more powerful than independence and such a simple thing for us is undoubtedly a huge pain in Kyleigh’s life. I’m so happy that someone has solved this one frustration for this girl. Thank you for showing me this
This is great. Chronic illness can be tough- almost paralyzes you at times. This reminds me of my sister. She stayed out sick from school longer than others growing up because she felt she should be in great shape to return to handling her responsibilities effectively and efficiently. Pissed people off but she had a way of showing that it wasn’t in vain. Just like this young lady here, getting back on the horse and undoubtedly learning to take the reigns is most therapeutic! I love that we can all appreciate the value of evolving.
This is awesome to see thanks for sharing