An Eye-Gaze Tracking and Human Computer Interface System for People with ALS and other Locked-in Diseases

Abstract

Eye tracking is one of the most important ways for people with ALS and other locked-in diseases to communicate. The majority of current eye tracking computer input systems are too expensive and not very user-friendly. This paper proposes an infrared sensor/emitter based eye tracking system called EyeLive, which does not use the common camera based approach. The hardware, eye tracking algorithm, and user interface are described, discussed, and compared with camera based eye tracking systems. The performance of the system is presented with experimental data. The advantages of the EyeLive system such as low cost, user friendliness, portability, and eye strain reduction are also discussed.