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This Wheelchair Steered By The Eyes Gives Mobility To The Paralyzed

  • March 5, 2014
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Text by Jennifer MacKenzie

With the blink of an eye—literally—quadriplegics could soon enjoy greater mobility, thanks to Ziad Daraawi’s ingenuity and perseverance.

The Palestinian from Bethlehem has invented a new system of motion-sensing lenses that can be used to steer a wheelchair—or make an emergency call, or play a video game, for that matter. His lenses’ diodes are a major improvement on existing technology, being far simpler, cheaper, and less damaging to the eye. Connected to a wheelchair, they could extend freedom of movement to thousands worldwide.

This is now Daraawi’s goal, but his inspiration was one student, a university classmate who, though disabled, was always supremely focused on his studies. His determination impressed Daraawi, and he decided with friends to dedicate his thesis to finding a way to overcome disability.

Not until after graduation did Daraawi manage to perfect and patent his design. The president of Palestine, Mahmoud Abbas, gave him all necessary support for its completion through his consultant, Dr. Majdi Al-Khalidi, and the Palestinian embassy in Jordan, and the Ibdaa Association is now helping him find sponsors.

But Daraawi’s quest is far from over. He’s now seeking a sponsor to fund production of 10 wheelchairs, and from the sales of these prototypes to establish regular production. “My dream,” Daraawi says, “is that every person in the world who needs this product can access it.”

For more info – Daraawi’s Facebook page

Ziad Daraawi, Palestinian inventor
By Sami Haven
Ziad Daraawi, Palestinian inventor
By Sami Haven
Ziad Daraawi, Palestinian inventor, with Dr. Majdi Al-Khalidi
By Sami Haven
Ziad Daraawi, Palestinian inventor, with Ibdaa Association president Maha Darwish
By Sami Haven

 

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Sami Haven

Sami Haven was born in Amman, Jordan, in 1987. His mother is originally from Yabroud, Syria, and his father is English born in the Caribbean. He grew up in his grandmother's house in Jabal al-wehbdeh, in the heart of Amman. In 2003 Sami moved to Al-Saru, on the outskirts of Amman, where he studied graphic design at Al Ahliyya University, graduating with the highest grades of his class. In 2005 he moved to Rome, Italy, where he did his masters in Photography. Sami worked with the world's most famous photographers like Steven Klein and Oliviero Toscani, along with many others. His works have been included in the Biennale of Venice directed by Kazuyo Sejima, Paris-Photo, and also in Tokio. After working in various editions of X-FACTOR Italia - making video clips for the contestants - in theatre with Fendi, and in the high fashion industry, Sami felt there was something missing, and so he decided to go to Gaza, Palestine, because it is an example of resistance and humanity, and to try and contrast the image constructed by the Western media that serves only the powerful. Today Sami is co-funder and part of an on growing conceptual group called Jasmine. A group united through passion against fear, a smell that's to spread out from the Mediterranean like a virus, to contaminate the world with Love, and heal from indifference. All can be part, and all shall be armed: Culture, Art, Music and Sport shall be our weapons of mass construction.

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