Microsoft has filed a new patent for the Eye-Gaze, a device that would allow users to communicate and interact with electronic devices without using their hands and fingers to type. This could be an excellent technology for accessibility purposes.
It employs ‘dwell-free’ technology, which implies that typing is accomplished by combining eye motions with keys on a screen. The name ‘dwell-free’ refers to the notion that the user would not be required to keep or ‘dwell’ eye contact with a key for an extended period of time, decreasing eye strain.
According to Windows Report, the peripheral would use AI techniques such as predictive text and machine learning to anticipate words, either by a visual trace across the keyboard or by analyzing the word’s first and last letters and allowing the device to guess it. This gadget is compatible with phones, tablets, and PCs and may be used for text messaging, email, web browsers, search engines, and any other application that accepts text input.
You can also utilize the Eye-Gaze to interact with applications in other ways, such as clicking a button in a web browser. It may also let users to modify settings like as audio volume or brightness using eye motions. There are numerous ways in which this device can communicate with other devices.
Microsoft may have an accessible hit on its hands
The only other peripheral that comes to mind that is somewhat similar to the Eye-Gaze is the Apple Vision Pro, which is used in a mixed reality environment and still requires some hand movements. While it received positive reviews from TechRadar and others, it is still not fully accessible and falls short of what the Eye-Gaze may possibly achieve.
Being able to type using only eye movements would aid a large number of persons with disabilities who suffer from a range of illnesses that limit or eliminate hand movements. This would be especially beneficial to people who suffer from hand tremors, arthritis, neck-down paralysis, bodily tics, and other conditions.
And this isn’t Microsoft’s first foray into accessibility accessories; they previously launched the outstanding Microsoft Adaptive Accessories. They are not only practical, but also very affordable because they are 3D-printed. Not to mention the game-changing Xbox Adaptive Controller, which was the first accessible console and PC controller years before any big manufacturer paid attention to the accessibility arena.
So, with the Eye-Gaze, Microsoft continues to lead the way in developing technologies that make computing more accessible. It’s fantastic that Microsoft has been investing in accessible peripherals, and hopefully this won’t be the last time the firm creates technology like this, as it’s an extremely important market share that has been neglected and underinvested in.
