Microsoft has now confirmed that the future Windows 10 version will include eye tracking features, with added support for a number of existing devices which also includes trackers manufactured by Tobii.
The latest feature will be primarily aimed at helping people who are suffering from neuromuscular diseases like ALS. The company is using a system developed for former NFL player Steve Gleason couple of years ago as the pioneer of the new technologies.
Since most of the people with 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.
In Windows 10, the new feature will be called Eye Control is currently in beta testing as a part of the Windows Insider program. The company has stated that specialized hardware will be required, and adds that Eye Control will work with majority of tracking solutions, which also includes 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.
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 launch line for Redstone 4, which is slated to debut in the spring of 2018.
