Eye-gaze Technology Research Articles

Assessing Preference Using Eye Gaze Technology for Individuals with Significant Intellectual and Physical Disabilities

The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of an eye gaze preference assessment using eye gaze technology to identify reinforcers for three adolescents with severe intellectual and physical disabilities. Preference was measured in a paired-choice preference assessment using eye gaze technology to determine stimulus selection. A subsequent reinforcer assessment using an ABCACB design to test the effects of high- and low-preference stimuli was implemented to determine the accuracy of eye gaze technology in identifying preferences. The results demonstrate that the preference assessment using eye gaze technology was effective in identifying reinforcers for all three participants.

Empowering Patients: The Use of Eye Gaze Technology With Medically Complex Patients in the Intensive Care Unit

Abstract Date Presented 4/8/2016 This poster will educate participants on the Tobii C12, which is used in this institution review board–approved clinical trial in the intensive care unit (ICU). Use of this device allows occupational therapists and speech–language pathologists to explore an alternative intervention for patients admitted to the ICU with quadriplegia with partial or total loss of use of all limbs. Primary Author and Speaker: Angela Regensburg Contributing Authors: Albert Chi, Jonah D. Garry, Kelly Showalter Casey, Therese Cole, Colleen McElroy

Robust Eye-Based Dwell-Free Typing

ABSTRACTFor a subset of physically challenged people, assistive technologies, such as alternative form of text entry, can be of tremendous benefit. However, speed of text entry with current methods limits their more widespread adoption. Eye gaze technologies have potential for text entry, but still tend to be relatively slow. Recently dwell-free eye-typing systems have been proposed, but can be vulnerable to common text entry problems, such as selection of the wrong letters. In this article, a recognition approach for inferring the words which the user intends to type is proposed. The method is robust to missing letters and even when a neighboring letter on the keyboard is incorrectly selected. Simulation and experiment results suggest that our proposed approach has better accuracy and more resilience to common text entry errors than other currently proposed dwell-free systems.

Eye Gaze Technology as a Form of Augmentative and Alternative Communication for Individuals with Rett Syndrome: Experiences of Families in The Netherlands.

This paper provides a brief report on families’ experiences of eye gaze technology as one form of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) for individuals with Rett syndrome (RTT), and the advice, training and support they receive in relation to this. An online survey exploring communication and AAC was circulated to 190 Dutch families; of the 67 questionnaires that were returned, 63 had answered questions relating to eye gaze technology. These 63 were analysed according to parameters including: experiences during trial periods and longer-term use; expert knowledge, advice and support; funding; communicative progress; and family satisfaction. 20 respondents were using or had previous experience of using an eye gaze system at the time of the survey, 28 of those with no prior experience wanted to try a system in the future. Following a trial period, 11 systems had been funded through health insurance for long-term use and two families had decided a system was not appropriate for them. Levels of support during trials and following long-term provision varied. Despite frustrations with the technology, satisfaction with the systems was higher than satisfaction with the support. The majority of families reported progress in their child’s skills with longer term use. These findings suggest that although eye gaze technologies offer potential to individuals with RTT and their families, greater input from suppliers and knowledgeable AAC professionals is essential for individuals and families to benefit maximally. Higher levels of training and support should be part of the ‘package’ when an eye gaze system is provided.

Empowering Patients: The Use of Eye Gaze Technology with Medically Complex Patients in the ICU

To explore interventions for patients with loss of limb function admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU) to enable communication.

Eye gaze technology: a South African perspective

Purpose: Based on the bioecological model by Bronfenbrenner, this paper will provide a broad perspective on factors that need to be taken into account in order to facilitate communication and participation in preliterate children making use of electronic Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) systems accessed through eye gaze. Method: Two case studies of children who have been provided with the technology described are presented. The case studies were analysed using the four nested systems of the ecology as a framework to describe not only the environment, but also the processes and interactions between the persons and their context. Results: Risk and opportunity factors are evident at all levels of the ecology. Conclusions: While a good fit between the person and the technology is an essential starting point, additional factors pertaining to the partner, the immediate environment as well as meso-, exo- and macrosystemic issues (such as societal attitudes and funding sources) have a significant influence on benefits derived. In resource-limited environments, the lack of support at more distal levels of the ecology (meso-, exo- and marosystemic levels) seems to be a factor that differentiates these environments from more resourced ones.Implications for RehabilitationWithin resource-limited environments lack of support from wider ecological systems pose a risk to the implementation of eye gaze technology.Attempts to improve collaboration between all role players could provide the opportunity for the establishment of an integrated plan for intervention and set the stage for information sharing and multiskilling between role players.Intervention should not only be aimed at addressing the needs of the individual client and their family, but also focus on building community capacity that could provide support to others.

The Use of Eye-Gaze Technology in Girls With Rett Syndrome

The Use of Eye-Gaze Technology in Girls With Rett Syndrome

Analysis of eye gaze: Do novice surgeons look at the same location as expert surgeons during a laparoscopic operation?

Eye-gaze technology can be used to track the gaze of surgeons on the surgical monitor. We examine the gaze of surgeons performing a task in the operating room and later watching the operative video in a lab. We also examined gaze of video watching by surgical residents. Data collection required two phases. Phase 1 involved recording the real-time eye gaze of expert surgeons while they were performing laparoscopic procedures in the operating room. The videos were used for phase 2. Phase 2 involved showing the recorded videos to the same expert surgeons, and while they were watching the videos (self-watching), their eye gaze was recorded. Junior residents (PGY 1-3) also were asked to watch the videos (other-watching) and their eye gaze was recorded. Dual eye-gaze similarity in self-watching was computed by the level of gaze overlay and compared with other-watching. Sixteen cases of laparoscopic cholecystectomy were recorded in the operating room. When experts watched the videos, there was a 55% overlap of eye gaze; yet when novices watched, only a 43.8% overlap (p < 0.001) was shown. These findings show that there is a significant difference in gaze patterns between novice and expert surgeons while watching surgical videos. Expert gaze recording from the operating room can be used to make teaching videos for gaze training to expedite learning curves of novice surgeons.

Two case studies describing assessment and provision of eye gaze technology for people with severe physical disabilities

Eye gaze technology may be beneficial for individuals with little or no movement of their limbs. Examples of such users are those who have suffered brainstem stroke, MS or high‐level quadriplegia (Cook &amp; Hussey, 2002). Its advantage is that it is a direct access method, with no intermediary steps involved in making a selection, thus, potentially speeding access to applications the user requires (eg. communication and environmental control). Using an eye gaze system may also be preferable for those capable of using an indirect method such as a switch accessible scanning interface. Recent advances in the technology, including demands from clinicians, clients and families, raised awareness, and independent evaluation sources such as the COGAIN (communication by gaze interaction) project have stimulated a competitive commercial market for such systems. In the UK, a number of devices are available through different suppliers. It is vital that careful assessment is conducted prior to choosing an gaze interaction system, an example being that a particular system may not accommodate a large amount of involuntary head movement, such as with athetoid CP. The same system however, may be appropriate for someone with a lesser degree of involuntary movement, as found with spinal cord injury. It is therefore important that the assessment process should include careful consideration of the individuals' strengths, identification of goals and tasks, the environment in which they are to be accomplished and identification of assistive technology options (Aigner &amp; Blalock, 1999). This paper presents two case studies; one describes the assessment and provision of eye gaze technology for a young woman born with severe physical disability and the other for an adult with acquired brain injury.

Cognitive performance in Rett syndrome girls: a pilot study using eyetracking technology

Rett syndrome (RS) is a pervasive developmental disorder with cognitive and neuromotor impairments (including loss of handiness and loss of communicative skills). To verify whether girls with RS use their gaze intentionally, by observing their performance in three cognitive tasks: (1) verbal instruction condition (look at picture X), (2) recognition and matching of pictures (look at the one that is the same), and (3) categorization of pictures (look at the one that is similar). Seven girls diagnosed with RS according to DSM-IV criteria were studied. Eyegaze technology was used to record the girls' eye movements' responses to visual stimulation. The comparison of fixation time on the alternatives revealed a higher percentage (62.4%) of correct alternatives (chi(2) = 76.31; P = 0.000). Of the seven children assessed, only one did not present predominance of fixations on the correct alternatives in any one of the tasks. One did well in all tasks. Six responded correctly to all verbal instructions. The rate of correct answers suggests that there is measurable and intentional gaze in RS girls and it can be used as a path to explore their cognitive performance.