Samsung’s Latest Tech Lets You Scroll + Type With Your Eyes
The first iPhone came out back in 2007…. yup, it’s been almost eight years since the idea of a touchscreen smartphone boggled our minds. Since then, Samsung has been creating some impressive competition with their Galaxy Ses and Notes. But Samsung has been doing much more than rivaling Apple. Back in 2012, Samsung created a drawing tool program that tracked eye movements so you could sketch and draw with your eyes. This program was originally meant for paralyzed graffiti artists, but the idea flourished into something else. Something that’s about to throw manuel scrolling into the past.
Samsung has created a mouse that’s controlled by your retinal movements, and it is eye-mazing to say the least. Project EYECAN+ uses a sensor to track your eyes’ movements and you can click by blinking. You can even copy, paste and carry out 20 other essential computer functions with only your eyes. We don’t know how the program will distinguish between a natural blink and a forced blink, but either way, Samsung is making some great strides with EYECAN+.
As amazing as EYECAN+ is, it actually isn’t anything new. Samsung released this program in their Galaxy S4 phones back when the program was still in its early stages. But even in its early development, the phone allowed a Smart Scroll option that used the same retinal movement technology that EYECAN+ uses today. Tracing this technology even farther back, Samsung implemented blink-text typing with the eyeCAN. However, that required the user to wear glasses in order for blinking to be detected.
After many improvements with the help of Shin Hyung-Jin, a quadriplegic graduate student from one of Korea’s most prestigious institutions, Yonsei University, EYECAN+ was released. But hold onto you thumbs, because you won’t be seeing eye scrolling and eye typing capabilities on your next Galaxy S or Note. The EYECAN+ won’t be commercially available. Samsung has decided to manufacture only a limited number, which they will be donating to charities.
What are your thoughts on the EYECAN+ technology? Any opinions on potential improvements in quality of life for the paralyzed? Tell us in the comments!
(h/t Korea RealTime)
