AI-Powered Wheelchair Controlled by Facial Expressions: Interview with CEO of HOOBOX Robotics

Hoobox Robotics, a robotics company based in São Paulo, Brazil, has developed the "Wheelie 7", a wheelchair controlled using facial recognition technology. Incorporating AI developed by Intel, the technology allows users to control the movements of a motorized wheelchair using just their faces. The technology is envisaged as being particularly helpful for users who cannot use their hands to control a motorized device. The tech consists of a 3D camera that records a user's facial expressions (no body sensors are required) and an on-board computer that interprets the expressions and sends commands to control the movement of the wheelchair. The company claims that their facial recognition system is so sensitive that it can differentiate ten different levels of pain, detect drowsiness, agitation, and sedation, and can even detect when a person will sneeze before the event occurs.