Control Your Phones by Just Looking at Them

Bangalore: Researchers have developed a new gen-next cell-phone software that allows users to control their mobiles just by moving their eyes.

"You can use it for basic control, such as turning to the next page in an e-book, and playing games with your eyes," chief executive and co-founder of 'The Eye Tribe', Sune Alstrup Johansen, said.

The software by a Danish company uses infrared light reflected from the pupil of the eye, which is recorded by the device's camera, enabling users to scroll or click on their screens with their eyes, the 'Daily Mail' reported.

As people read an e-book and get to the bottom of the page, the software will know to turn to the next page, or if you look away from the screen it will dim it.

The Eye Tribe was developed by four PhD students who founded the company a year ago. They received USD 800,000 in funding in August to develop the technology.

Researchers plan to release the technology at no cost to other software developers early next year, Johansen said.

They said Eye Tribe aims to get their software integrated in the hardware of big tablet producers, so consumers can buy a tablet with the software and then download apps that run with the eye control technology.

Cameras on current mobile devices still need to be connected to a small unit with an infrared camera to work with the software, but Johansen said next-generation devices would very likely be able to use the software.

The technology is expected to significantly change the way users play games and use apps, said John Paulin Hansen, a former supervisor of the four co-founders.