There are various types of electronic eye gaze
options for people with ALS. These
systems rely on eye movement to “activate” a letter on a computer screen in
order for the letter to be typed. In
order for the system to work reliably, the person with ALS needs to have upper
and lower and lateral eye movements.
This article will describe the various options for eye gaze technology
including insurance funded devices and DIY (Do It Yourself) devices.
Insurance
funded systems
For more sophisticated computer
access there are several “eye gaze” computer systems on the market.
These high priced specialty computers rely strictly on eye movement for
activation. This type of machine is only used by people that have little
or no muscle movement left on their bodies. The basic premise is that a
CCTV camera is placed below a computer monitor. The camera tracks your
retina movement. Special software is loaded into the computer and allows
the user to have full access by simply moving their eyes around the
screen.
Insurance will only fund an eye gaze
system if the speech therapist writing the report can document no other forms
of access will work with the client.
Most insurance companies (including Medicare and some private insurance
providers) will fund 80% of the cost of this device. However, following Medicare guidelines,
people enrolled in hospice or living at an assisted living facility are NOT
eligible for communication devices. This often leads to frustration for many
PALS since they now need the eye gaze systems but can’t get them funded. There
are now other options on the market which are described later in this document.
Producers of eye gaze systems are:
Other Eyegaze Options (most are not fundable via insurance but
it never hurts to ask)
The
Eye Tribe $99.00 (http://theeyetribe.com) Not yet available—company taking
pre-orders. Expected shipment date December 2013.
The Eye
Tribe software enables eye control on mobile devices, allowing handsfree
navigation of websites and apps; incl. eye activated login, enhanced gaming
experiences and cloudbased user engagement analytics. The Eye Tribe intends to
become the leading provider of eye control technology for mass market consumer
devices by licensing the technology to manufacturers.
It all
started seven years ago where the four founders meet at the IT University of
Copenhagen. The ambition was to make eye tracking available for everyone at an
affordable price. Within a couple of years they were renowned as the world
leading research group in low cost eye tracking. After finishing their PhD’s
the four founders bought the IP from the University and formed The Eye Tribe
company during their participation in the European StartupBootcamp accelerator
program in 2011. The team now includes 16 full time employees, building eye
tracking software and applications for mobile devices. The Eye Tribe received
seed funding of USD 1 million from private European investors in 2012 and is
also leading a USD 4.4 Million government funded project to develop eye control
for mobile devices.
The EyeWriter Project (a
Do It Yourself Kit—the blueprints are free and cost of materials is about
$100.00. http://www.eyewriter.org)
Members of Free Art and Technology (FAT), OpenFrameworks, the
Graffiti Research Lab, and The Ebeling Group communities have teamed-up with a
legendary LA graffiti writer, publisher and activist, named TEMPTONE. Tempt1
was diagnosed with ALS in 2003, a disease which has left him almost completely
physically paralyzed… except for his eyes. This international team is working
together to create a low-cost, open source eye-tracking system that will allow
ALS patients to draw using just their eyes. The long-term goal is to create a
professional/social network of software developers, hardware hackers, urban projection
artists and ALS patients from around the world who are using local materials
and open source research to creatively connect and make eye art.
The Tobii PCEye
Go is a peripheral eye tracker that enhances computer accessibility with the
speed, power and accuracy of gaze interaction. The device replaces the standard
mouse, allowing you to navigate and control a desktop or laptop computer using
only your eyes. You place this device on your EXISTING computer so no other
hardrive is required. The PCEye Go runs
on standard Windows computers and tablets, allowing you to work with any
application that is normally controlled by a standard computer mouse or through
touch. Surf the web, connect with friends online, play games, Skype, use
environmental controls to turn on the lights or TV and even make spreadsheets
and documents by using your eyes.
The PC Eye can
also be used on any WINDOWS TABLET and will turn that tablet into an eye gaze
system.
VT2Mini by Eye Tech Ditigal Systems
(https://www.eyetechds.com/vt2-mini.shtml)
With
the simplicity of a single USB interface, the VT2 mini offers compactness and
the largest head motion box for reliable and accurate data collection. Easily
swapped between laptops, tablets or desktop computers, we include the
QuickCAPTURE gaze analysis software and QuickLINK API to allow researchers and
developers access to valuable metrics such as gaze position, dwell times, blink
rates, pupil size, and much more.
VisionKey is the latest in eye
controlled communication and enables users with severe physical disabilities to
type and talk with their eyes. Lightweight and head mounted, VisionKey gives
users communication independence and control in their lives by simply "looking".
The system also gives them each a voice by enabling them to control a speech
synthesizer in the VisionKey unit or on the computer. Now users can write
letters, play games, surf the net and listen to multi-media sound just by
moving their eyes. VisionKey combines a viewer mounted on a pair of standard
frames with a small control unit. An eye tracker and a microcomputer measure
the position of the eye and when a selection is made, it appears on the control
unit LCD and on the computer. Users look at a specific word, letter or
character on the chart in front of their eye and "type" by holding
their gaze until a selection is confirmed by a green highlight and a beep.
The research into electronic eye
gaze devices continues to develop at an amazing speed. As new technology emerges, additions will be
made to this list.
Should you have any questions about
eye gaze technology or any assistive technology for people with ALS, please
feel free to contact me at abrownlee@alsa-national.org.
Alisa
Brownlee, ATP
September
2013
