Mouse Emulation, one of the Tobii EyeMobile’s two modes of use is exactly as the name describes. By locking the mouse cursor to your eyes the Tobii EyeMobile allows you to directly control a mouse cursor that is capable of all the functions a normal mouse can perform. This includes left-click, right-click, double-click, scroll, drag and drop, zoom and more. Unlike Gaze Selection Mouse Emulation is live at all times. In other words, should you dwell upon a desktop icon – such as a shortcut – for a specific period of time the cursor will highlight/select/click said icon. Initially, this mode can be quite overwhelming as the mouse cursor is constantly keeping track with your eye movements, however there is always the option to pause in the small overlay menu or turn the cursor off. Mouse Emulation is ideal for slightly advanced users of Windows as you benefit from an intuitive use that requires less thinking in between actions. The advantage of Mouse Emulation is the free flowing and highly responsive mouse cursor, which is essential for tasks such a graphical design, drawing and other sensory input applications.
Following a successful high-quality calibration Mouse Emulation is ready for use. For information on calibration and demonstration refer to Part Two: Calibration and Gaze Selection. The following video is a short demonstration on how to use Mouse Emulation. In it I demonstrate how to select different mouse functions from the overlay menu and then use them to go to www.dospace.org and elaborate on a few more.
In light of my use of this quickly developing technology I would encourage all patrons to schedule one of our Tobii EyeMobile tech kits for use and give it a shot. I would like to think eye-tracking technologies will not end here. It can be an incredibly empowering technology. Indeed, the Tobii EyeMobile is one of those technologies that really will give you a vibe of the highly technological future we have at hand. If you have questions feel free to ask a staff member for a quick explanation or keep an eye on our monthly schedule for future demonstrations.
Sean is an Australian abroad. He is living in Omaha and working at Do Space as a part-time technologist with the desire to gain a valuable insight into U.S. community and culture. Sean has embraced his role at Do Space by combining his enthusiasm for technology with his various backgrounds as a tradesman, audio-visual technician and graduate of International Studies. You may have seen him at the tech desk or conducting classes in the 3D lab.
