Contributions to a Nonverbal Communication System for Human-Machine Interaction

Today, eye-tracking technology has numerous applications across various fields, including robotics research and neuroscience. Numerous eye-tracking devices are available, each differing in performance, cost, durability, and efficiency. This paper introduces a highly effective and relatively low-cost eye-tracking device used to develop a human-machine communication system. This system is designed to assist individuals with neuromotor disabilities in communicating with their external environment. For patients who are completely paralyzed but can still move their eyes, this capability is leveraged to help them express themselves. A graphical interface has been created, offering options tailored to the patient’s needs, which they can choose by focusing their gaze on specific icons. By utilizing the cursor control feature of the eye tracker software, the user can easily navigate the graphical user interface and compose messages using a virtual keyboard. To control the mouse, the user simply moves their gaze from one point to another. For clicking, they need to fixate their gaze on a point for just 1.5-2 seconds. Our tests yielded very promising results, enabling the writing of phrases within a few minutes. Additionally, the interface connects with email and WhatsApp to send these phrases.