24 March 2006

CSUN 2006/Eye Gaze


A new system called "ERICA" may have finally broken through many of the barriers that interfered with adoption and successful use of "eye-gaze" "eye-tracking" as computer control. I literally spent less than 30-seconds prepping the system before I could start to type successfully, and it only took that long because I'm not good at keeping my head still (eye-gaze and ADHD may never go together).

All you do to set this up is to aim the firewire camera, and look at five spots on the screen. One for focus, then four corners (much like touching the four points on an Interactive White Board). And then you're off and running.

The system is built on a tablet PC, so full touch-screen capabilities are built in, making it perfect for ALS, for other degenerative issues, or simply because "you might have good or bad days."

This level of technology was way over $20,000 (US) just a few years ago. Now it's about $7,000 (US) complete.

from Los Angeles - Ira Socol

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