Ten years ago, I wrote an article for NEW MOBILITY about Google’s supposedly revolutionary Glass headset and what it might offer for wheelchair users. I had a lot of fun testing out the futuristic-looking device, but wasn’t sure what its future looked like. I closed the article with a quote from a Google staffer who promised, “We’re going to learn about things that Glass can help people do that we have no idea about now.”

In case you’ve forgotten or never heard about Glass, it was a lightweight headset attached to a glasses frame, with a built-in visual display that let you make calls, take pictures and videos, and access social media hands-free, using voice, head tilt or other controls. Two years after my article, Google stopped making Glass for the public.

I forgot about my headset — packed away in its felt pouch in the back of my closet — until last year. A representative for a German company had sent a message through the NM website touting “a new technology combining smart glasses to help electric wheelchair drivers control their wheelchair (hands-free) through a minimalist head control device via Bluetooth.” When I saw the pictures on their site, the device looked just like a Glass, and more importantly, it seemed to allow users to control their power chairs by simply tilting their heads.

The company, munevo, had been operating in Europe for three years and was preparing to bring their product, munevo DRIVE, to the U.S. Having heard numerous friends rant about their frustrations with current hands-free control options for power chairs, I was excited to hear about a new way to safely drive for those who can’t use arms or hands.

The headset has been exhibited at Abilities Expos around the U.S., and munevo offered one to NEW MOBILITY so I could try it and get feedback from other testers.

Promising Potential

Using the glasses is about as close to plug-and-play as you will find when it comes to hands-free setups, but you will need an assistive technology professional to connect the adapter to your chair and configure the setup and speed adjustments. DRIVE is currently compatible with most newer Permobil, Sunrise Medical, Invacare and Q-Logic chairs, but check before purchasing.

As an avid gamer, I found the head-tilt control system easy to learn and felt comfortable driving at slow speeds within minutes. Each user calibrates how much head tilt is needed to drive, a nice feature that should provide users with all ranges of head movement ample control. I set mine to respond to more pronounced movements while my co-tester configured it for smaller gestures. “Driving with the device took a little bit of getting used to, though tilting your head in the direction you want to travel was intuitive, and with practice a driver can navigate quite nimbly,” she said.

We both found the headset comfortable, even for longer periods of time. It’s surprisingly stable, even with the tilting. The visual menu, used to change settings, has a clean interface and is easy to use once you get used to looking up and to the right for the prism that provides the visual display. The menu also has audio prompts that make it easier to use while driving. This is helpful when you want to make sure you’ve toggled out of drive mode or switched between forward and reverse.

My co-tester thought DRIVE provided more freedom and control than her experiences with head arrays or sip-and-puff, but worried about battery life and connectivity. “I like to go out and stay out, and I wasn’t able to go full days without needing a charge,” she said. While plugging the glasses into a USB port isn’t a huge inconvenience, what with more chairs providing them these days, she said that it does reduce your independence.

In light of recent revelations about Bluetooth connectivity problems with the Permobil SmartDrive, it’s worth mentioning that neither of us had any issues with our chairs disobeying our commands or flying out of control. I reached out to munevo to see if they have an override solution similar to the SmartDrive SpeedControl dial. Independence isn’t possible without safety. Chief technology officer and munevo co-founder Aashish Trivedi responded: “The Bluetooth connection between the smartglass and our adapter is secure and encrypted, and our product also has been tested according to the medical device standards to ensure that the Bluetooth connection is reliable without interruptions.”

The munevo DRIVE is an exciting addition to available hands-free control options. “Having an innovative new choice to the standard alternative drive options where a joystick cannot be used is great,” my co-tester said. “It’s cool how they’ve leveraged existing gyroscopic capabilities in Google glasses to build a product for wheelchair users that has the potential to make controlling other electronic devices like your cellphone as easy as tilting your head.”

he was referring to munevo PHONE, an app that allows users to control their phones via the same headset interface. The app is free with your DRIVE. Other add-ons that allow users to control a variety of home and adaptive appliances are available for purchase.

For pricing or to book a demo, visit munevo.com/en.