Microsoft is building eye-tracking tech into Windows 10
Microsoft is making another stride in accessibility features with eye tracking in Windows 10.
Microsoft is working to bring built-in eye-tracking to Windows 10. Currently called Eye Control, Microsoft explains that the feature is currently available to test for Windows Insiders (via MSPU).
The feature works using the Tobii Eye Tracker 4C, which can track where a person is looking on a screen. With it, users can navigate the OS using only their gaze. And while Tobii's tracker is the only one supported at the moment, Microsoft is working to support others on the market.
The basis of Eye Control was initially developed as part of a hackathon in 2014 as a way for people with ALS to drive a wheelchair using the movement of their eyes and controls on a Surface. Microsoft says it was inspired by the project to adopt eye-tracking technology in Windows 10 as an accessibility feature.
If you're a Windows Insider, the feature can be tested in the latest Insider builds — provided you have access to the Tobii Eye Tracker 4C. The feature is expected to launch with the Fall Creators Update as a general public beta. The Fall Creators Update will also herald a number of other accessibility improvements mostly centered on things like Narrator and tools to assist in reading and writing.
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Dan Thorp-Lancaster is the former Editor-in-Chief of Windows Central. He began working with Windows Central, Android Central, and iMore as a news writer in 2014 and is obsessed with tech of all sorts. You can follow Dan on Twitter @DthorpL and Instagram @heyitsdtl.