Microsoft is currently testing a new feature called “Eye Control” that aims to allow people with disabilities operate an on-screen mouse, keyboard, and text-to-speech experience using nothing else but their eyes
Microsoft’s Eye Control aims to “empower people with disabilities to operate an on-screen mouse, keyboard, and text-to-speech experience using only their eyes,” Microsoft said in a blog post
In order to be able to use this feature, users need to have an eye tracking hardware by Tobii.
How it works: when Eye Control is launched, a box appears that allows the user to choose to control the mouse, keyboard, or text-to-speech feature using only the eyes.
As soon as the mouse function is selected, a user has to look at what they want to click on, then select, again using the eyes, what action they want to take, such as left click or right click.
When it comes to typing, it works in a similar fashion. Users are required to look at the letters that they want to type. However, Microsoft is also in trial with a feature called “shape-writing” to help people type faster with their eyes.
“You can form words by dwelling at the first and last character of the word, and simply glancing at letters in between. A hint of the word predicted will appear on the last key of the word,” Microsoft explained.
However, the feature is in the beta testing stage for the Windows 10 Insider Preview Build, which is available for select users.
