“Eye Mouse” Helps Severely Disabled Internet Users
2009-8-30 22:23
Two 18-year-old technical school students in Argentina have developed software and a webcam system to help one of their friends who suffers from Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) to use his computer.
The Eye Mouse system tracks the user's eye with a standard webcam and translates eye movements into on-screen actions.
For SMA sufferers like Nicolas Rossi, this means being able to control a computer with his eyes.
[Nicolas Matias Rossi, SMA Sufferer]:
"I used to be able to use the mouse, a conventional mouse, but there came a moment when I could no longer use it. And well, they told me about this system. My friend developed it for me with the ORT and well, here we are."
Eye Mouse technology is not completely new.
Other conventional mouse substitutes can track head movements and accomplish similar results.
But one of the student developers of the Eye Mouse says their system is accessible to all and is relatively cheap.
[Nicolas Amaro, 18-Year-Old Developer]:
"The interesting thing about the Eye Mouse is you can download the software for free from the school's website and the only cost that you would have is to create the helmet which includes a webcam, not a special webcam, any typical webcam that would cost around 100 pesos. After that you only need everyday elements you can buy in any hardware store. We estimate that the cost would be 110 to 120 pesos (about $30 U.S.D.).”
The computer system selects and deselects sections of the computer screen depending on the user's eye movement.
At that point the user looks at the webcam.
This process is then repeated until the user focuses on the exact desired screen location.
Composing an e-mail or a message follows the same process via a selection of onscreen letters designed for that purpose.
[Nicolas Amaro, 18-Year-Old Developer]:
"The Eye Mouse is a system that allows disabled people that suffer from Spinal Muscular Atrophy – or any other disability that does not allow them to use their hands or to communicate in any other way but by moving their eyes – to use the computer, send emails, write whatever document, and also control the computer like they are clicking and moving the mouse."
Thanks to the Eye Mouse, Rossi, for one, can once again use the computer.
