Students at UVA have engineered a way to help quadriplegics become more employable.
A team of engineering students built a prototype of a device that can be placed in a person's mouth. A computer can then be controlled using the tongue.
First year engineering student, Adam Maguire, said the finished product will look like a dental retainer. He said it will give those with disabilities the ability to communicate and function better in the work place.
"They kind of have stuff like this now involving blowing into straws and stuff, but this involves a lot more flexibility. You can control a computer a lot easier," Maguire said.
The students' prototype is competing in the AbilityOne Network Design Challenge national competition this April. They hope to have the device in limited trial use by late spring.
