GUIDe:  An Alternative to the Computer Mouse

 

Group 8

 

Paul McNutt, Blake Williams, Colby Holland, and Brandon Carpenter

 

Key Words: EyePoint, GUIDe, Algorithm, Scrolling Threshold

 

Computer and information technology is undoubtedly the fastest moving industry found throughout the globe today. Aspects of this field have a tendency to become outdated in only a matter of months from their initial release. This characteristic leads to an incredibly fast pace and an unpredictable environment for those brave enough to pursue the careers it has to offer. At the foundation of this cutting edge world of technology are the researchers with an incredible passion for the subject matter and the will to improve it far beyond perfection. People with motivation such as this can only lead to some incredible outcomes and as a direct result the majority of the mass population will be presented with a product that has the potential to completely reshape the common view of cutting-edge technology. Researchers at Stanford University have done just that. Manu Kumar, a doctoral student, and his colleague Terry Winograd, a Stanford computer-science professor, have created an alternative to the ever popular but rather cumbersome computer mouse. Their creation, GUIDe (Gaze-enhanced User Interface Design) allows a user to perform, without a mouse, virtually every input function possible when utilizing a mouse. A person can click links, highlight text, and scroll by simply looking at the screen and tapping the keyboard. Although the difference in terms of speed between pointing a mouse and simply looking at a screen my seem minute to the untrained eye, the seconds saved can add up to become tremendously effective in terms of worker productivity for large businesses.

 

Eye-tracking technology is currently being initiated in its infancy to aid those with certain disabilities in the medical field.  Kumar and Winograd are trying to aim the technology in a direction that is more mainstream. The problem here lies within the expectations of those that actually compose the prospected market. People that aren’t disabled do not have a specific “need” for the technology. There is greater pressure placed on easy-to-use interfaces. When I was initially exposed to the idea of a ‘gazed’ based input device I became immediately curious about the process of actually selecting different things as you would normally left-click with a mouse. My first thought was that the user could just “double-blink” for lack of a better term. At the core of the technology is the software that hopes to solve this problem EyePoint. EyePoint is software that works alongside standard eye tracking hardware that allows a user to look at a web link, for example, and press a “hot key” on the keyboard (usually on the number pad). The area of focus then becomes continually magnified until the link is selected and the hotkey is released transporting the user through the page and onto the linked site.

 

The hardware involved in the use of eye tracking technology is a combination of high definition cameras and expensive monitors. The one used in the Stanford studies would set you back around $25,000. The camera picks up the movement of the pupil and the reflection of the infrared light off the cornea, which is used as a reference point because it doesn't move. The theology behind this is quite clever but unfortunately our pupils are the most stable organs. Even when a person is fixated on a point, the pupil jitters. As we know Stanford is a very prestigious university and a great percentage of those making it through their program are among the brightest on the planet. To solve the problem of the jittery pupil, Kumar wrote an algorithm that allows the computer to smooth out the eye jitters in real time. One of the most notable features of the technology is that it functions with the person need to control an on-screen cursor as you do with the mouse of today. EyePoint provides no feedback on where a person is looking. Kumar supported his theory that a cursor or pointer is distracting to a user with his usability studies, in which performance dropped when a blue dot was added that followed the gaze of the user.

Businesses today thrive off of incredible levels of efficiency and productivity.  The GUIDe project in conjunction with the EyePoint software hope to help these businesses gain a competitive advantage by drastically increasing these levels. In his studies of 20 people, he found that participants that needed to type and point could point faster using the gaze-based approach than using a mouse, although the error rate was an alarming 20 percent. But overall, about 90 percent of participants reported that they preferred using EyePoint to the mouse. It is this 20 percent error rate that has kept this technology from the mainstream. It is known, although, that much of the error is due to the lack of practice by the test users. It is software like no other and without the proper training error is sure to ensue. Kumar has continued his research by working on algorithms that show promise for making EyePoint more accurate by accounting for peripheral vision related errors. Still, he allows that the software might work poorly for certain people, such as those with thick glasses, special contact lenses, or lazy eyes.

As with any technology in its early stages it will take a great deal of time and research to successfully implement onto the desktops of executives across the globe. With the obvious motivation of the staff at Stanford University and continuous evolution of technology the possibilities for a company using software such as this are remarkable. Everyone loves a workplace where both management and associates are simultaneously happy and productive. Eye tracking software creates enhanced productivity of employees which brings smiles to the faces of CEOs and at the same time because the task at hand has been greatly simplified the faces of the employees become strikingly similar. It is a lot like the old saying, “When momma is happy, everyone is happy.”

Eye tracking could very well make it into the consumer a lot faster than many believed. Apple's desktops and laptops are now equipped with a built-in camera for videoconferencing. With the addition of a higher-resolution camera, infrared LEDs, and the EyePoint software, Apple's machines would be able to support applications from the GUIDe project. If eye tracking proves appealing to the consumer, and the hardware costs drop to a reasonable range, eye-tracking interfaces could provide an alluring and entertaining alternative to the mouse or laptop track pad. The history of the progression of technology can only support the hopes of this technology gaining the acceptance of the society of today while becoming even more refined by the researchers of tomorrow.

So as computer technology continues to grow at an incredibly rapid pace we should not be surprised to see the field of information technology provide us with striking new technologies such as that of Stanford University’s “GUIDe” technology.

References

 

Green, K., (2007). An alternative to the computer mouse: a user interface that tracks eye movement may provide an alternate way to use a computer. Retrieved April 19, 2007, from http://www.technologyreview.com/Infotech/18254 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Questions about GUIDe

Group 8

 

1.   The software that enables an individual to uses their eyes as the "mouse" is called:

            A.   Retina Vision                                             B.   EyePoint

            C.   EPR                                                          D.   EyeWear

 

2.   The GUIDe software was developed by researchers at what university?

            A.   Carnegie Melon                                         B.   UC Berkeley

            C.   Stanford                                                    D.   UACCM

 

3.   One problem encountered during the testing of this technology was:

            A.   The cornea is too small                               B.   Blue eyes don’t work

            C.   The pupil is jittery                           D.   Retina is sensitive to infrared

 

4.   Which of these is NOT a problem if you were to use the GUIDe technology:

            A.   Eye shape                                                  B. Contact lenses

            C.   Glasses                                                      D.   Lazy eye

 

5.   GUIDe stands for:

            A.   Gaze-enhanced user institute design            B.   Gaze-enhanced user interface default

            C.   Gaze-enhanced user interface design          D.  Gaze-engaged user interface design

 

6.   A key factor in callibrating the camera to a persons eye is:

            A.   How big your eyes are                               B.   The shapes of your eyes

            C.   The color of your eyes                               D.  How fast your eyes move

 

7.   All of these will be possible with the GUIDe technology except:

            A.   Scrolling up and down smoothly                 B.   Clicking on items

            C.   Voice recognition                                       D.   Using the enhanced page up/down keys