SBIR Phase II: Assistive Control System Harnessing Vestigial Neuromuscular Biosignals

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project will continue the work started in the Phase I project to fully explore the extent to which signals from the vestigial muscles around the ears can be repurposed as a new human ability. Higher primates have not needed these muscles for millions of years, yet they exist in nearly everyone and are controlled by nerves that come directly from the brainstem, thereby bypassing the spinal to cord to remain functional after even the highest spinal cord injuries. This project involves the development of an optimized headset controller device, along with the testing and evaluation of this new control modality in a variety of real-world applications that would be useful for both paralyzed and able-bodied people. The broader impact/commercial potential of this project will be significant in the assistive technology space. Limitations of mobility and interpersonal interaction are primary factors determining functional independence and quality of life in people with physical disabilities, yet existing assistive devices remain cumbersome and usurp the individual's few remaining still-functioning motor systems. This innovation in assistive technology could bring a new controller to those with paralysis or limb loss, and has the potential to change how anyone interfaces with their environment. Users would, in essence, develop a new mode of command output that can be operated intuitively, invisibly, and wirelessly.