World's first tongue-controlled Nintendo Game Boy AdvanceSP

Via Simmunity

Simmunity has created the world's first tongue-controlled Nintendo Game Boy AdvanceSP console and Game Cube controller for quadriplegic youth and adults.

The unit is designed for special people in school, residential and hospital settings, who can now play Game Boys with a tongue controller.

At left, you see a Tongue-Controlled Game Boy Advance SP and remote control receiver and a Charmed Labs XPort 2.0 cartridge programmed with a custom game program.

To make this work, we added a new jack for the receiver input. This receiver processes signals from the tongue-touch keypad and, in this case, relays them to a second micro-controller computer chip inside the Game Boy, added by Simmunity, to decode the reciever signals and activate the Game Boy Advance SP buttons.

The Nintendo Game Boy Advance SP operates normally with all Game Boy Advance compatible cartridges, though games which require multiple simultaneous button closures will require an assistant to help push extra buttons during play. Many games such as the popular Pokemon Pinball game and retro game collections with Ms. PacMan, Battle Zone and Galaxian are easily played on the Tongue Controlled Game Boy Advance SP without assistance. The Tongue Controlled Game Boy Advance SP can also control many Nintendo Game Cube Games through use of a Nintendo Game Boy Advance to Game Cube link cable.

Each Remote Controlled Game Boy Advance SP system is created by remanufacturing a standard Game Boy Advance SP console and adding a MicroChip PIC processor for signal decoding and button activation. Remanufactured consoles look unmodified and provide full battery life.

Simmunity Corporation is also developing specialized games and augmented communications software for people with various physical and cognitive communications challenges. We are dedicated to the thousands of young people whose lives we can touch and make brighter with learning, communication and entertainment products. We endeavor to raise self esteem and independence through accomplishment.

Screenshots Via Comments

I don't think you can call this a complete news post without shots of someone using the thing. I'd kill to see someone play Metroid Zero Mission or Rhythm Tengoku.

Edit: Is that huge black brick supposed to go in your mouth?!

WTF? this is the most random add on hardware ever. its nice for people with disabilities though :)

That's good for those people.

congrats!! im glad that people with disabilites can finally play video games! i commend all who worked on this project through this site. god bless

I remember a deaf gamer (who was also pretty good) in a gaming magazine.

cool stuff i think that they would sell millions in the shops