Okay, I'm sure you all remember when I posted about the awesome eye-controlled laptop from Tobii a while back, right? If you don't, you can always scroll down a bit and have a look.
Well, now some students from BYU are taking eye-control technology it a step further by adding something that's really needed in the EC market - affordablility. You see, even Tobii's system, the PCEye is considered to be inexpensive in the EC market, and it costs a whopping $6,900. Let's face it, that's not something most people with the types of disabilities these systems are designed for can afford.
So, the students from BYU partnered up with EyeTech Digital Systems and created a Windows 7 tablet PC using eye tracking software developed by previous students (also partnered with EyeTech Digital). This was all part of their year-long capstone engineering requirement. The tablet is a bit thicker than usual, but only cost them $1,500. When you consider that an ordinary Windows 7 tablet retails for around $750, that's really not bad!
The eye tracking software uses a camera to track where a user is looking. This allows a user to control the cursor simply by moving their gaze around a screen. Blinking will perform a mouse click. The tablet will run any Windows program, from Solitare to Skype, and EyeTech Digital plans to market the technology as an alternative to the sophisticated systems that are already out there.
And hey, at that price, even tech enthusiasts like me could consider buying one. I can definitely see the possibilities.
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