Imagine that instead of moving your finger across the screen of your smartphone, just look at him, and he knows that one blink of the eyes is make a call, and the two is turn on the camera and take a picture. As a result of research conducted at the University of Georgia in the US and the German Institute of Computer Science Max Planck on the navigation of the interface smartphone or tablet using the eye, now it is possible due to the built-in camera and eye tracking – technology enabling registration of visual activity by tracking eye movement. The aim is to create software for the steering of smartphone with your eyes.

The algorithm uses a front device camera to recognition where the user looks at a time. At the current stage reached tracking accuracy of the order of one centimeter. The possible range of error seems small. But too small current accuracy of the solution does not allow him to enter the consumer. To make the system reliable need at least ten times higher resolution. This should be improved by collecting further data. Scientists team starts their work with the creation of applications designed for the iPhone, which collects information about how people look at phone in different circumstances. Vision is recorded by front camera of the device – at the same time the device’s screen displays a flashing dot in different places.

Data from the first application was used to create the next, capture the user’s face. This algorithm detects the position and direction, which was returned to the head and eyes, and is trying to note eyesight is focused on the screen. The application have currently in the database data about 1500 people. To reduce the tracking error of 0.5 cm need 10,000 scanned face, so still a lot of time will pass before the algorithm can be truly useful.

When that happens eye-tracking becomes public and will be useful. What you can, however, use? Non-contact control of navigation in the car, medical applications (tracking eye movement is used for the diagnosis of schizophrenia and concussion), and fun mobile games – examples can be multiplied.