The first piece of technology developed by I3 is an EMG (electromyograph) detector known as TNG 1, (i.e., totally neat thing, version one; right photo).

EMG is usually a medical device for measuring voltage shifts in human muscles as they are flexed and relaxed. TNG 1 was built to substitute an earlier version of the same technology known as Biomuse whose revolutionary capacity was to translate EMG signals into computer commands. In the case of Biomuse, the signals would become musical pitches. Dr. Warner and his collegues at Loma Linda, however, realized this technology could be used to take the signals from the movements of facial muscles of quadreplegic children and turn them into more basic computer commands like moving an object around a screen or playing a video game. I3 began when the Biomuse technology became available to Dr. Warner and various children at Loma Linda University's pediatric rehab clinic circa 1992.

The second piece of similar technology from I3 is TNG 2. In contrast to TNG 1, TNG 2 translates resistance changes into computer commands. TNG 2 has been used most commonly with light resistant photo cells. By using a special head piece with specifically placed light recptors, movements of cheek muscles distort light paths to the receptors creating a signal. Both gadgets form the foundation of an interventional informatic useful to quadreplegics and are referred to as 'gesture transducers' as they are translating gestures from the face into input signals ( examples and electronic diagrams ).

On the history of TNG, click here.