Name: The invention that unlocked a locked-in artist
Uploaded: 2011-04-07T13:49:00Z
Duration: 7 min 32 s
Description: The nerve disease ALS left graffiti artist TEMPT paralyzed from head to toe, forced to communicate blink by blink. In a remarkable talk at TEDActive, entrepreneur Mick Ebeling shares how he and a team of collaborators built an open-source invention that gave the artist -- and gives others in his circumstance -- the means to make art again.

The nerve disease ALS left graffiti artist TEMPT paralyzed from head to toe, forced to communicate blink by blink. In a remarkable talk at TEDActive, entrepreneur Mick Ebeling shares how he and a team of collaborators built an open-source invention that gave the artist -- and gives others in his circumstance -- the means to make art again.

The invention that unlocked a locked-in artist

A group of collaborators built the EyeWriter, a low-cost, DIY device that lets paralyzed people draw and communicate using only their eyes. Inspired by a renowned graffiti artist who could no longer move or speak after ALS, the team hacked together sunglasses, a PS3 camera, and open-source software in just two weeks. The first time the artist drew again in seven years, he described it as finally being able to breathe. Their creation is free to build and has since gained global recognition and awards.