Editorials
New ways of interaction between man and machine are being developed at Lleida University
By h.b.
Jan 28, 2008 - 4:40 PM

EDITORIAL COMMENT

There are just under two million physically challenged people in Spain who are unable to take advantage of the internet revolution simply because they are unable to control a computer mouse.

Now however, a research team at the Lleida University in Cataluña has placed what they call a ‘Head Mouse’ on line. All you need is a standard web cam, the system has been tested with 20 of the top-selling models, and to install their software in order to move the computer mouse across the screen with the simple movement of your head. The program works by what the development team call ‘face tracking’.

The process is so easy that no training is needed for those who use the device. The mouse click operation is carried out in one of three ways. One is by moving the eyebrows and closing your eyes. The second, and favoured by the development team, is by moving your lips, and the third is by moving the mouse over the icon you want to open and simply holding it there for a few seconds.

It’s not the first or only such system in existance, but it is thought to be the simplest to install and use.

The Head Mouse is available for free download, and the instructions in the download are also in English.
http://robotica.udl.es

We send congratulations to Jordi Palacín and his team in Lleida, for making such ground-breaking software available for free to the public at large. We are sure that this new way of linking humans and machines will be adapted for use in many more situations in the future.