“Art is a tool of empowerment and social change, and I consider myself blessed to be able to create and use my work to promote health reform, bring awareness about ALS and help others.”
– Tony Quan, aka Tempt One
The Eye Writer is a really smart application of artist\hacker creative talents in providing solutions to the communication difficulties experienced by people suffering from ALS also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease. The glasses use small video cameras to track eye movements and route it through to drawing software.
Street graffiti by Tempt One using the Eye Writer application from his hospital bed
“Members of Free Art and Technology (FAT), OpenFrameworks, the Graffiti Research Lab, and The Ebeling Group communities have teamed-up with a legendary LA graffiti writer, publisher and activist, named Tony Quan, aka TEMPTONE. Tony was diagnosed with ALS in 2003, a disease which has left him almost completely physically paralyzed… except for his eyes. This international team is working together to create a low-cost, open source eye-tracking system that will allow ALS patients to draw using just their eyes. The long-term goal is to create a professional/social network of software developers, hardware hackers, urban projection artists and ALS patients from around the world who are using local materials and open source research to creatively connect and make eye art.” – from – http://www.eyewriter.org
Tempt One wearing the Eye Writer Glasses
Check out Tempt One’s images on the http://www.eyewriter.org
In the following video the artists set up the Eye Writer application in Tempts hospital room and networked it to a projector outside enabling Tempt to write graffiti on the street from his hospital bed.
Due to the seriousness of this disease Tony requires special medical support. You can make a donation via Paypal a link to which can be found on his Myspace http://www.myspace.com/temptone. All donations go towards medical care.