For those of us who are able bodied, the ability to use our hands to control our computers through a keyboard and mouse is something we tend to take for granted, or at least until the unspeakable happens and we suddenly lose some (or all) functionality in our limbs. In some cases, some are even born with such disabilities, which makes using computers difficult.
There are various accessibility features that have been built into operating systems, and Microsoft wants to add more such features to that list by building eye-tracking features into Windows 10. The feature, nicknamed Eye Control, will basically allow users to navigate through Windows 10 using nothing but their gaze, where users can launch apps, type, and perform various tasks just by focusing their eyes on whatever it is on the screen.
This will also see Microsoft work with Tobii, who for those unfamiliar is a company well-versed in creating eye-tracking hardware, and has in the past created their own devices or even teamed up with other companies to create eye-tracking hardware used for various purposes, such as gaming.
According to Jake Cohen, Program Manager on the Windows Interaction Platform team, “When I heard about the Ability Eye Gaze team and what they were creating, it was super exciting to think about the possibilities of what could be done next, and it really made a dramatic difference to me when we started meeting with people living with ALS. I began to understand all the challenges they live with every single day. We’ve done a lot of great work across our teams, and we have a lot more to do, but we’re at a point where it has the potential to really start changing lives.”