Israeli Innovation: Sesame phone
Most of us use our smartphones for so many things every day that it's hard to imagine life without them. But for people who have little or no use of their hands, many of the things we do on our phones can be difficult or impossible.
In 2012, Israeli entrepreneur Oded Ben Dov was demonstrating touch-free technology on television. Giora Livne, an Israeli who was paralysed following an accident, was watching at home. Livne contacted Ben Dov with a question: could this technology be used to create a smartphone he could control without his hands?
The result was Sesame Phone, a completely touch-free smartphone designed for people with limited mobility. Using the phone's camera, the technology tracks small movements of the user's head, allowing them to control a cursor, open apps, send messages and browse the internet without touching the screen.
For people living with spinal cord injuries, ALS, cerebral palsy and other conditions that limit movement, the technology created something far more important than a new way to use a phone. It offered greater independence and freedom to communicate with the world.
Sesame Phone is a powerful reminder that innovation is at its best when it gives people the freedom to do things for themselves.