14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft confirmed that future Windows 10 version would include eye tracking features, with support to be added for a number of existing devices, including trackers manufactured by Tobii.
The new feature will be primarily aimed at helping people suffering from neuromuscular diseases likes ALS, with the company using a system developed for former NFL player Steve Gleason a couple of years ago as the pioneer of the new technologies.
Since in most of the cases people suffering from ALS can only move their eyes, Microsoft created a system that can be controlled by simply gazing at characters to type out words on an on-screen keyboard, which can then be pronounced by dedicated technology.
Enter Eye Control
In Windows 10, the new feature will be called Eye Control and is currently in beta as part of the Windows Insider program. The company says that specialized hardware will be required, and adds that Eye Control will work with the majority of tracking solutions, including the Tobii 4C.
“Eye Control makes Windows 10 more accessible by empowering people with disabilities to operate an onscreen mouse, keyboard, and text-to-speech experience using only their eyes. The experience requires a compatible eye tracker, like the Tobii 4C, which unlocks access to the Windows operating system to be able to do the tasks one could previously accomplish with a physical mouse and keyboard,” Microsoft explains.
Steve Gleason is one of those who applaud Microsoft for its continued efforts in helping people with disabilities, explaining that with Windows 10, the company can reduce the gap between widely used tech and people suffering from diseases affecting muscle control.
There are no specifics as to when Eye Control could become available to everyone using Windows 10, but since the technology is still in its early days, it is unlikely to see it launching in the Fall Creators Update due in September. Most likely, Eye Control is on the table for Redstone 4, which Microsoft should launch in the spring of 2018.
