Eye Tracking Gets Cheap and Powerful, thanks to Tobii

profile
Evan

Controlling your computer with just your eyes might seem like science fiction, but Tobii is working hard on making it a reality. Tobii originally revealed some experimental hardware back at CES, but the company is now at CeBIT with improved software and hardware.The new hardware is about half the size of the old hardware, making it about the size of a hot dog. The two cameras are closer together, but that doesn’t hamper performance. Tobii wasn’t showing the new hardware in action, but they were demoing their new software, which is really the important part when using the eye tracker. and that aspect was majorly improved from their CES showing.Eye tracking could revolutionize how we use computers, once the hardware gets small enough. In addition to the possibility of mouse-less control, it allows for amazingly convincing 3D effects. By tracking head and eye movement, you can alter the perspectives and focus of a display. This effect has been used by itself to fake glasses-free 3D, and when coupled with an actual glasses-free tv, the 3D becomes something else entirely.The tech is still far from being integrated into laptops, however. Right now the company is trying to get buyers in different industries, from medical to CAD to web designers looking for website gaze analysis. If Tobii can find the right partners, however, they plan on getting their tech into consumer electronics like laptops and tablets within a couple of years.Until then, hopefully Tobii will be able to release at least a few niche products onto the market. This technology could revolutionize the assistive technology market. Just imagine a paraplegic able to type a message by selecting words on a screen. Tobii’s tech seems accurate enough to handle that.