I4Control - Assistive Technology Product Wins EU First Prize

The Czech Technical University won first prize for its I4Control device in a contest hosted by the European Commission and European Council of Applied Sciences, Technologies and Engineering (Euro-CASE).

The I4Control device is an innovative computer periphery that enables a person to control a computer through the movement of the eyes or head. The system does away with the dependency on the computer mouse and makes possible the user’s communication with all the applications using his/her eye movements. The I4control does not restrict the movement of the user, allowing the user to move freely without keeping the head in a fixed position. The core of the system is a tiny black-and-white camera affixed to the frame of the spectacles of the user. This way, the position of the camera corresponds with the movement of the user’s head. 

The camera records and evaluates the position of the user’s eye and communicates it to the system. For example, when the eye is in a stable position it sends the signal “stop,” otherwise the signal “proceed in the same direction” is generated. So, all the time that the eyes are not in a stable position, the same signal is repeatedly sent to move the computer cursor in the direction corresponding to the present position of the eye with respect to the placement of the camera. To stop the cursor moving and to click or double-click a file, the corresponding signal is blinking, where the eye is kept closed for a sufficiently longer time (one can individually set the time parameter to filter out spontaneous blinking).

Advantages include simple installation and usage, mobility as well as universality of the system, which can be connected to any computer through the USB interface. The I4Control is offered for an affordable price.

 Source: IST 4