this gadget helps people with disabilities live on their own

smartphones are supposed to make life easier, but for people who can’t use their hands or arms, they’re about as useful as paperweights. The brainiacs behind the Tecla-E have created a solution. Launched by Mauricio Meza, a biomedical engineer, and Jorge Silva, a tech researcher who has worked at U of T, Holland Bloorview Kids and OCAD, the portable, rechargeable device allows those with minimal upper body movement to control smart devices via eye movement, sip-and-puff controllers and head arrays on wheelchairs. They can make phone calls, answer emails, search the web and take selfies—totally hands-free.