Behind the quest to control a wheelchair with a smile

Facial recognition software has earned a difficult reputation over the past few years, what with its massive privacy implications and ease of being misused by governments and retailers alike, but the technology has just as many beneficial applications. Take the Wheelie 7, for example. While travelling a few years ago, Dr. Paulo Pinheiro was struck by a scene unfolding before him. "I saw a girl at the airport, she was in a wheelchair," he explained to Engadget. "She couldn't move her arms or her legs, her father was helping her with her wheelchair but she had a great smile... so I thought it would be a good idea to try to translate that smile into commands that could move a wheelchair."