Project Co-Investigator: Prof. Ing. Tracey Camilleri, Dept. of Systems and Control Engineering
Project Co-Investigator; Prof. Ing. Kenneth P. Camilleri, Dept. of Systems and Control Engineering
Project Co-Investigator: Dr Ing. Nathaniel Barbara, Centre for Biomedical Cybernetics
Research Associate: Mr Matthew Mifsud, Dept. of Systems and Control Engineering
Research Support Officer I: Mr Salah Ad-Din Ahmed Youbi, from Dept. of Systems and Control Engineering
Research Support Officer I (part-time): Ms Ella Miceli Farrugia, Dept. of Systems and Control Engineering
Funding body: Xjenza Malta FUSION Smart Cities programme.
Began: January 2023
Completed: December 2024
Being immersed in a technological environment has made it important to be able to communicate and control technological devices in a seamless, effortless manner. The standard interfaces include remote controls, touch screens made available on the device itself, or applications on smartphones or tablets. This communication modality, however, is not always suitable for individuals with limited fine motor skills who find it difficult to press small buttons on a remote control or icons on a touch screen. SmartGaze aims to address this issue by exploiting the natural gaze interaction of human beings with devices in their environment to allow individuals with mobility impairments to control devices, such as an air conditioner or television set, using eye gaze tracking. Specifically, electrooculography (EOG) is used as the eye gaze tracking modality, together with head orientation and localisation of the individual within a smart home, to determine the device that the subject wants to control. Once locked with a device, the individual selects device specific control functions through simple eye gestures. The proposed system makes use of a wearable, wireless EOG glasses and does not require a computer screen for device function selection, making the system more practical to use. SmartGaze thus provides a novel communication interface for individuals who lack the necessary fine motor skills to control standard interfaces, bringing forth more independence and a better quality of life as it reduces the continuous dependence on carers or family members.
