During Cazé TV’s broadcasts of the Paris Olympics, many internet users have been asking: “What is that accessory Lais is wearing on her glasses?” and “What is that colorful little piece on Lais’s glasses?”. The curiosity was so great that social media was flooded with questions about the device. If you also wondered what this technological innovation Lais Souza is using is, keep reading to find out!
Lais Souza, former gymnast and current Olympic commentator, is using Colibri, an innovative device that transforms the lives of people with motor disabilities.
What is Colibri?
Colibri is a wireless head mouse, invented in Brazil, that allows you to control cell phones, tablets, and computers using only head movements. This revolutionary technology was created by the startup Colibri Interfaces e Tecnologia to provide autonomy, accessibility, and privacy to people unable to move their hands.
Colibri is suitable for anyone with motor difficulties in their hands, such as in cases of tetraplegia, spinal cord injury, stroke sequelae, cerebral palsy, etc., offering a range of personalized settings. In addition to moving the pointer according to head movement, users can choose to click the mouse by blinking, moving their cheek, or even just keeping the cursor still. It’s also possible to configure the cursor speed, calibrate the range of movements, and more.
The Story of Lais Souza
To understand the impact of Colibri on Lais Souza’s life, it’s important to know a little about her story. Lais, whose resume includes participation in the 2004 Athens and 2008 Beijing Olympics, as well as several medals in World Cups and Pan American Games, had her career tragically interrupted in 2014.
While training to compete in aerial skiing at the Winter Olympics, Lais suffered a serious accident. During a training session in Salt Lake City, Utah, she crashed into a tree, fracturing the third vertebra of her cervical spine and suffering a complete spinal cord injury. The accident resulted in the loss of movement and sensation below the neck, leaving Lais quadriplegic.
Despite the trauma, Lais did not let herself be defeated. Currently, she shines as a speaker and content creator, in addition to working as a commentator at the Paris Olympics for Cazé TV, and Colibri has been an essential ally in her new career.
The Impact of Colibri on Lais Souza’s Life
Since she started using Colibri, Lais has gained a new form of independence. “Colibri opens more doors for me to work, to give talks, to do advertising. It has given me enormous freedom,” says the former athlete. The device allows her to control her cell phone simply by moving her head, making it easier to perform daily and professional tasks.
Check out Lais’s own testimony:
Colibri Startup
Colibri Interfaces e Tecnologia, a spin-off of TiX Tecnologia Assistiva, has been developing innovative solutions to simplify the lives of people with disabilities for quite some time. Colibri, its main product, was inspired by the story of Mikael Monteiro, a boy with arthrogryposis who needed a better way to use his cell phone.
After rapid initial development and a period of intensive testing, Colibri was launched in 2021 and has already transformed the lives of hundreds of people in Brazil.
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Learn more
If you’re curious to learn more about Colibri and other products from Colibri Interfaces e Tecnologia, visit our website and discover how we are promoting the humanized inclusion of people with disabilities. Be sure to check it out and share this innovative technology with those who need it!
