Researchers at Imperial College London have invented a device made from off the shelf video game equipment that tracks eye movement, thus allowing users (especially stroke victims; people with bad motor skills, Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson’s, muscular dystrophy, spinal cord injuries or amputees) to control a cursor on a screen.
| Image source: The Inquisitr |
The device comprises of two video game cameras that are attached to a pair of glasses. The cameras, facing the eyes, keep track of movement of pupils by constantly taking pictures, and these pictures are used in a calibration process to figure out where exactly the person is looking at the screen.
For demonstration purposes, subjects were asked to play the video game “Pong”. The subjects controlled the movement of the paddle with their eyes, which was tracked by this device. It was noted that all six subjects were able to play the game comfortably only within ten minutes of using the device for the first time. In addition to playing the video game, they were also able to browse the web and write emails.
This device transmits data over wi-fi or USB to Windows or Linux computers, and is built from parts that cost no more than $30, thus appropriately being called a “frugal innovation” by its inventors.
Watch this video to see a demo of this device that tracks eye movement precisely, and yet is thousands of times less expensive than commercial devices.
Source: Phys.org
Full free article: IOPScience