A Simple Gaze Tracker for Computer Operation by the Disabled in Education

Autores

  • Franco Simini Universidad de la República
  • Andres Touya Núcleo de Ingeniería Biomédica de las Facultades de Medicina e Ingeniería, Universidad de la Republica, Montevideo, Uruguay
  • Agustin Senatore Núcleo de Ingeniería Biomédica de las Facultades de Medicina e Ingeniería, Universidad de la Republica, Montevideo, Uruguay
  • Jose Pereira Elso Núcleo de Ingeniería Biomédica de las Facultades de Medicina e Ingeniería, Universidad de la Republica, Montevideo, Uruguay
  • Laura De Castellet NeuroPaediatric Rehabilitation Professor and Medical Director of Fundación TELETÓN, Montevideo, Uruguay

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.22456/1982-1654.36542

Palavras-chave:

Assistive technology. Gaze-tracker. Education. Disability.

Resumo

A compact gaze tracker was developed which consists of a head band and electrodes which process the Electro-Oculo-Gram (EOG) reflecting the patient´s eye movements. We have confirmed that the processed EOG signal correlates well with gaze angle, and we show that the instrument we designed enables a child to move a target on a screen up to 40 degrees left-right from central sight. To achieve this, a signal processing circuit was designed and placed on a head band to minimize noise. Further processing is based on the identification of saccadic eye movements and on the educated calculation of the estimated gaze angle as a result of angle change in both directions. A 75% success rate was achieved to detect transitions of eye positions in 5° steps from +40° to -40°. First tests by normal children suggest that the device may prove useful for communication by the disabled (e.g. patients with no control on hand movements). In such cases, extensive personal training will tap on neurological plasticity to achieve the required performance level for computer mouse command of educational games and for interactive applications in general.

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Biografia do Autor

Franco Simini, Universidad de la República

Profesor de Ingeniería Biomédica, tesis en control continuo de pacientes críticos en la Universidad de Pisa (1978), fundador del núcleo de ingeniería biomédica en Uruguay (1990), proyectista de los primeros sistemas de historia clínica con enfoque epidemiológico (SIP, 1985) y diseñador de centrales télex automáticas (1980). Proyecta y dirige proyectos de sistemas o equipos biomédicos en respuesta a necesidades clínicas y de investigación.

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Publicado

2012-12-28

Como Citar

SIMINI, F.; TOUYA, A.; SENATORE, A.; PEREIRA ELSO, J.; DE CASTELLET, L. A Simple Gaze Tracker for Computer Operation by the Disabled in Education. Informática na educação: teoria & prática, Porto Alegre, v. 15, n. 2, 2012. DOI: 10.22456/1982-1654.36542. Disponível em: https://seer.ufrgs.br/index.php/InfEducTeoriaPratica/article/view/36542. Acesso em: 28 mar. 2024.