Every day, we grab our mice and use the keyboard with the utmost naturalness. The basis of the idea of MotionInput is a fact: for people with disabilities, these movements are indeed difficult – if not impossible. Now, however, it may be possible to control computers using facial expressions alone.
Eye movement tracking, which has been used most often so far, requires special peripherals. But wouldn’t it be better if the software worked instead of the hardware: would we use the existing devices with a smarter program?
This is exactly what the MotionInput 3 application is trying to do, which presents a completely new method of the concept of “contactless computing”. The current goal of the developers is that anyone can play any game. Instead of requiring users to work with a mouse or keyboard, MotionInput 3 allows them to create and use new input options that work best for them, while building on laptops’ built-in webcams.
Users can choose facial expressions or physical gestures that suit them and their needs. They can be “taught” to the program via the computer’s webcam. So, for example, a pinch can be used to move the cursor to the right, while, for example, a quick, double-raised eyebrow can be used to achieve a double-click.
The development of the MotionInput 3 software that supports this,Dean Mohamedally, was directed by a professor of computer science at University College London. More than 200 students participated in the improvement of the software in the last four years. The app can be downloaded for free from the Microsoft Store.
Personalized control methods are made possible by software for artificial intelligence provided by Intel. This uses machine learning to recognize the user’s body parts and how movements or facial expressions in the game relate to certain actions. The development with the support of IBM is also great news for those organizations that have been helping players with disabilities by creating unique controllers.
Although the focus is currently only on games, the application of technologies like MotionInput go far beyond the gaming industry. According to experts, contactless computing will play a major role in healthcare, the construction industry and education, among others.
