Sesame Is A Touch-Free Smartphone Designed For The Disabled

A lot of us probably take our mobility for granted. We are able to use devices like smartphones and tablets without thinking, like swiping on the screen to play games, using gestures, typing out emails and messages, and so on. However there are some who are disabled and are unable to move much at all, let alone use smartphones.

Well this has led to the creation of the Sesame, a touch-free smartphone that was created with the disabled in mind, such as those who are quadriplegics, or those suffering with ALS, cerebral palsy, Parkinson’s, arthritis, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, and more. For those curious about the device, the Sesame isn’t so much a new phone per se, but rather a modified version of the Nexus 5.

Created by Oded Ben Dov and Giora Livne, a former Israeli navy commander and electrical power engineer who is also a quadriplegic, the phone will have a custom piece of software installed on top of the Android operating system that will be able to recognize voice commands and head gestures via the front-facing camera. For example users will need to say “Open Sesame” to unlock the phone, and from there they will just need to move their heads to help guide the cursor around the screen.

As it stands, Sesame is still in its prototype phase and its inventors are seeking funding via Indiegogo to help put the finishing touches on their product. Assuming all goes to plan, they expect that shipments will be going out as soon as March 2015. If you’d like to pledge your support, head on over to its Indiegogo page for the details.

Tyler Lee
Categories: Cellphones
Tags: Crowdfunding, Indiegogo