A NEW ERA OF GAMING

COGAIN, which is a European Union funded organization recently launched a state of the art software, that would enable users with severe motor disabilities to use the internet and other programs, with just a look of their eyes. This innovative technology that is known as the gaming-with-gaze software open up new avenues for the disabled, previously unperceived. Highly successful games such as, Second Life and World of Warcraft that employ this technology, will now be available to the the disabled users.

Patients suffering from life altering illness like, cerebral palsy, motor neurone disease (MND) or locked-in syndromes will now have an entire world right in front of them explore, with the help of their gaze and eye-tracking technology. This in turn, would be a “truly liberating experience”, according to Howell Istance, who helped develop the gaming-with-gaze software.
In an interview, Howell Istance said,

“Until now, gaze-tracking technology has mainly been used for typing with visual keyboards, for browsing the web and other text-based applications. We have taken it to an entirely new level by using eye movements to control an avatar in a virtual environment, allowing people with disabilities to appear and interact just like able-bodied people if they wish.”
Gaming With Gaze Software Principle.

The gaming-with-gaze software works in tandem with the commonly available eye trackers, that track and monitor a user’s eye movements with the help of cameras and direct character’s movements accordingly. To better understand the gazing phenomenon, developers and researchers of the gaming-with-gaze software studies the eye movements of able users. This enabled them to create a ‘heat map’, that would respond to the commands triggered by the gamers’ gaze. Due to the fact that, the software is independent in itself, therefore, it is completely compatible with just about every game, that requires a keyboard or a mouse.
While explaining the principles of the gaming-with-gaze software, Howell Istance said,

“In the current set up, we have programmed 12 gesture sequences to activate different keyboard or mouse events. Many more commands are possible but the total number is limited by the users’ memory and the need to differentiate between when someone wants to input a command and when they are just looking at the screen. Obviously there will be limitations to what users with disabilities can do – such as not being able to perform several actions simultaneously – but they can choose what activities they participate in. That is a choice they did not have before.”

According to Aulikki Hyrskykari (Researcher, Tampere University),

“It could be life changing for the large number of paralyzed people whose only means of communicating is with their eyes. Second Life, for example, could really be a second life for them, providing not only entertainment but versatile electronic services, for example, education.”