Eye control of computer demonstrated

LAS VEGAS, Jan. 12 (UPI) -- Eye tracking to control a computer is one of several alternate interfaces being showcased at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, industry analysts said.

Sweden's Tobii Technology has demonstrated such a system on a laptop running Windows 8, NewScientist.com reported Thursday.

Using the technology is straightforward -- the user just looks at an application on the screen and taps the computer touchpad to launch it. A sensor along the bottom of the screen uses invisible infrared lights to illuminate the viewer's eyes as rapid-action cameras take pictures -- about 30 per second -- to build a 3D model of the eyes and their position to track them.

"Once we know where the eye is looking, we can treat it like a cursor or a pointer," Tobii spokeswoman Barbara Barclay said.

Eye tracking is not likely to replace traditional computer controls, Barclay said, but there are niche uses where it will be considerably effective.

"If you're looking at photographs, whether on a tablet or computer, you probably wouldn't want to use your hands at all," she said. "You just want to look, left right, left right. You can scroll through them with your eyes faster than anything."