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CeBIT 2011: Tobii debuts 'world's first' eye-controlled laptop

By | March 1, 2011, 9:54am PST

Summary: CeBIT 2011 is currently underway in Hanover, Germany, and Tobii has definitely unveiled something special: the “world’s first” eye-controlled laptop.

CeBIT 2011 is currently underway in Hanover, Germany, and Tobii has definitely unveiled something special: the “world’s first” eye-controlled laptop.

The mouse can move over as the users’ eyes has all the power here. (Although, a mouse or touch pad might be a good back-up system anyway.) The concept notebook, developed in partnership with Lenovo, permits eye control to select, scroll, zoom in on pictures and maps, and auto-center the area one might be focused on.

[Image Gallery: Laptop that's controlled by your eye]

Somehow, eye control can also be used to toggle between windows as well as manipulate dimming and brightening the display.

If you’re lucky enough to be in Germany for CeBIT, the Tobii technology is on display at booth C13, Hall 9. No launch plans have been announced for this advanced PC as it is still just a prototype.

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Laptop Computer, CeBIT 2011, Notebooks, Hardware, Notebooks & Tablets, Rachel King

Rachel King is a staff writer for ZDNet based in San Francisco.

Disclosure

Rachel King

Rachel King has no business relationships, affiliations, investments, or other potential conflicts of interest relating to the content posted in this blog.

Biography

Rachel King

Rachel King is a staff writer for CBS Interactive in San Francisco. Before serving as a contributing editor at ZDNet in New York City for two years, she previously worked for The Business Insider, FastCompany.com, CNN's San Francisco bureau and the U.S. Department of State. Rachel has also written for MainStreet.com, Irish America Magazine and the New York Daily News, among others. Rachel has a B.A. in Mass Communications and History from the University of California, Berkeley and a M.S. in Journalism from Columbia University, where she served as art director for the student magazine, Plated.

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Eye Control IS Meant For Humans
Robert Stevens 4th Mar 2011
@mistercatworks@... I agree, integrating an eye tracker into a laptop is a great PR exercise but it has little useful practical application. Eye tracking will only become useful to the masses when integrated with augmented reality and wearable eye trackers: http://thinkeyetracking.com/Blog/?p=402
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Eye Control not meant for humans
mistercatworks@... 1st Mar 2011
As an aid to the handicapped, it is a great idea. For the average user, it could be literally a pain in the neck. It is not natural for a person to look directly at specific spots for any length of time. People who are forced to work with such systems will tell you they are suitable for occasional gross control of positioning. This is another "gee-whiz" feature that looks amazing...in the demo.
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Eye Control IS Meant For Humans
Robert Stevens 4th Mar 2011
@mistercatworks@... I agree, integrating an eye tracker into a laptop is a great PR exercise but it has little useful practical application. Eye tracking will only become useful to the masses when integrated with augmented reality and wearable eye trackers: http://thinkeyetracking.com/Blog/?p=402
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I can see it now...
Scubajrr Updated - 1st Mar 2011
You're sitting work checking google maps when you glance a a sidebar ad. you didn't mean to click the link but it's a rollover ad. Next thing you know you're on the personals page opens (complete with images) and requests donations for a fund to help lesbian, nazi hookers who've been abducted by aliens and forced into weight loss programs.
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RE: CeBIT 2011: Tobii debuts 'world?s first' eye-controlled laptop
ITOdeed 2nd Mar 2011
I like the mind boggling potential power of 'brain wave' technology better. "Just think it and it happens."
But it's still in its infancy, just as eye movement technology is.

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