14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft has just rolled out a new Windows 10 preview build, and one of the most important updates is the addition of Eye Control.
Designed for people suffering from neuromuscular diseases like ALS, Eye Control enables customers to use their computer using their eyes, with simple gestures like gazing at characters on a virtual keyboard or swiping across the screen allowing to perform quick actions on the system.
Eye Control only works with dedicated eye trackers and supports the EN-US keyboard for the time being, but Microsoft says that it’s already working to make it available for more devices and languages in the coming months. In addition to the Tobii Eye Tracker 4C, which is already supported, Tobii Dynavox PCEye Mini, PCEyePlus, EyeMobile Plus, and I-series will also be supported soon, the company says.
Eye Control is being added to PC Settings > Ease of Access > Other options, and it needs to be enabled, with options to access the mouse, keyboard, text-to-speed, and to move the tools around the screen provided in a simple launchpad that stays on the screen.
Since it’s currently in beta, Eye Control comes with a number of limitations, such as not working correctly in direct sunlight or the launchpad partially blocking the Tobii UI during device calibration. The software giant says it’s working on it and smoother performance should be available soon.
Fluent Design in Microsoft Edge browser
Microsoft Edge is also getting its own share of improvements with this new build, and the most notable is the addition of Acrylic material, which brings the browser in line with the other apps that received Fluent Design treatment.
There are also several Windows Defender Application Guard improvements, as well as refinements to input methods, so, for example, the touch keyboard should now launch substantially faster when tapping the icon in the taskbar.
Windows 10 build 16257 is only aimed at insiders in the Fast ring, but it’s worth noting that the addition of Eye Control at this point does not guarantee the feature will be ready in time for the Fall Creators Update in September.