BENGALURU:Two engineering students from Bengaluru have developed a device that could help paralysed people communicate using eye movements.The device — V-info — uses special frames to track retina movement, thus assisting paralysed people navigate pages on a computer. Mohit R Golecha says that more than 50% of the paralysed people can communicate with their eyes. “We made specs with a lens. There is a tracker attached to it, which traces the movement of the pupil and projects what he/she is looking at on a screen. The pupil acts like a cursor and once he/she types something, there is an audio response the other person gets to hear.”
He says they are trying to develop a software that can help trace eye movement. “For now, we are using a camera tracker. We would like to programme a tracker, something like the one that tracks hand movements, and patent it,” he adds.The Oxford College of Engineering students Mohit and Gadhiya Abhay Dipakbhai, are planning to develop the entire software before they head to Dubai for ‘Living Talent – Masterpiece 2017’. The platform aims to provide innovators an international platform to showcase their talent. Judges and viewers will decide which participant advances to the next round to win the grand prize of $10,000.
The duo got the idea while having a casual chat during a dinner with a friend. Mohit says, “He had gone to a hospital to visit his uncle. On the bed next to his uncle’s, there was a paralysed person. His relatives were troubling him for the will. Our friend felt bad that the patient could not communicate at all.” That’s how they got the idea and started working on an interface after a few online researches and help from their teachers. They have visited three hospitals in the city to try the device out. “It was successful,” adds Mohit.
The main challenge was to track the movements accurately, says Mohit. “The mechanical aspect of the project was easy. Coding a programme for the software to track eye movements was difficult. That’s why it took us two weeks to develop the entire device,” he adds. The product was ready by November 9, he says. The duo is planning to make the device wireless for easy use if it is to hit the markets.
Dr Sirish Nelivigi, senior consultant, opthalmology, Sakra World Hospital, says it’s an useful device and a good alternative to the computer mouse. “It uses infra-red rays to track eye movements. If it is in the nominal range of wavelength, it won’t be harmful. Else, it may cause cataract or retinal damage.”
Demo video link: https://youtu.be/21PGXLfzrJ4