Eye-tracking technology is not new. In fact we’ve seen examples of it used in smartphones, such as the SmartStay feature in the Galaxy S3. We have also heard rumors that Amazon’s own smartphone could feature eye-tracking as well. At the forefront of eye-tracking technology is the company Tobii, who has in the past released eye-tracking products, and they have recently announced that they will be taking the wraps off their EyeX Engine, which is basically a set of tools that they will be giving to developers as a means for them to add eye-tracking to their apps and devices in the future.
It remains to be seen as to what developers will be able to use these features for, but the possibilities are endless. One of the examples highlighted by Tobii in the video above, is how eye-tracking can be used as a means to navigate a computer, by using one’s eyes as a pointing tool. It can also be used to dismiss notifications once you have read it, which can be incredibly useful and will not be disruptive as compared to having to click the notification away or wait for it to disappear. It can also be used for gaming, especially in FPS games where you head/eye movements will correspond to your movement in the game itself. It sounds pretty awesome and for developers looking to get their hands on the EyeX kit, it will be available for pre-order for $195 and is expected to start shipping in March 2014.