Canadian company’s new device makes Pokémon Go accessible to wheelchair users

Toronto based company Komodo OpenLab thought of a way to make it easier to play Pokémon Go on tablets and smartphones for users who might not be able to interact with these gadgets (people who have multiple sclerosis, are wheelchair bound or have spinal injuries), by using its assistive hardware product called, Tecla in iOS Switch Control in “Point Mode”.

Industrial Designer at Komodo, Larry Kwok displayed the ability to control the game using Tecla with the help of local pokémon savvy friends (both on an electric wheelchair) on the streets of Toronto. The Tecla controlled was installed on their wheelchairs and allowed for control of the game via Bluetooth. A control unit switched the target device for the hardware controller between the smartphone and the wheelchair, which also works with single or dual switches.