Thursday, October 22, 2009

Free and Low Cost Head and Eye Tracking Software


Updated March 30, 2011

Free and Low Cost Head Tracking Software (note head trackers can usually track any body part and more so if you put reflective tape, shiny nail polish or an LED on that body part)

Note and Tips:
  • Head Tracking and Eye Gaze Tracking are two very different things.  Head tracking uses a camera to translate a body part movement, typically the head, into mouse movement.  Eye Gaze Tracking is more complicated, using one or more cameras to translate slight movements of the eye into mouse movements.  Please do not use the terms interchangeably.
  • Head Tracking can generally track any body movement - a toe or finger or elbow should work as well as a head to these systems
  • Many head tracking systems work better if you use a dot of metallic nail polish, aluminum foil or reflective tape (you can get this in bike stores) to make it easy for the camera to stay on one spot
  • Free and low cost systems often do not have the features commercial systems have, for example you many need to install addition autoclick or dwell click software and you will not have as much (or any) access to tech support
Free and Low Cost Head Tracking Software
DIY Head Trackers

Free and Low Cost Eye Tracking Software
  • ITU Gaze Tracker is a free eye gaze program for Windows that works with a webcam
  • myEYE is a free eye tracking program for use on Windows with a high resolution webcam
  • Open Eyes has directions to build two different user worn eye gaze systems
  • Open Gazer is free eye gaze software for Linux that works with a webcam
Options to Click
  • Dwell Clicker free software to allow hovering over an item to trigger a click
  • Point and Click  free software for dwell and auto clicking 
  • Use a switch set to "mouse click" or "enter"

10 comments:

  1. Splendid post, Kate. Really useful as always. Ta very much!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Seen this? EyeGaze controlled toy train set.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-RQhzp-C6XM

    ReplyDelete
  3. I am building my PLN for a college course and there is great information all over your blog! Thanks for all the great AT advice!

    ReplyDelete
  4. new webcam eyetracker project: http://sourceforge.net/projects/gazepointer/

    ReplyDelete
  5. Readers may be interested in the free xLabs Chrome browser extension, which does both head and gaze tracking. It also includes a "mouse" mode for web browsing where head movements control the cursor and dwell to click. Sensitive areas of the screen allow scrolling and previous page.

    http://www.xlabsgaze.com

    ReplyDelete
  6. GazeRecorder automatically records using ordinary webcams, where people look and what they engage with on their computer screens. https://sourceforge.net/projects/gazerecorder/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I tried to download the GazeRecorder and every time it is saying Source code not available. Will you mind to tell me what is the problem with this, I m using mac 10.11

      Delete
  7. Thank you. Coming from sri lanka and trying to treat a patient who cannot move anything below the head, I found your web site very useful.

    ReplyDelete

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