An application to support people with disabilities
As part of her diploma project, our student developed an application that allows users to operate a computer keyboard using eye movement.
“There are commercial solutions that enable keyboard control via eye movement. For example, you can buy a camera that uses infrared light or special glasses, but all of these options are quite expensive. I wanted to check whether it would be possible to use a computer in a touch-free way at home, without specialized equipment—just by using a built-in laptop camera or an external one along with my program,” explains Eng. Anna Mrozek, who developed the application as part of her diploma project.
“To use the application, you need either a built-in laptop camera or an external one. The application does not require infrared technology. All that is needed is a regular light source to illuminate the user’s face. Based on the reflection of light in the eye, the program calculates the viewing angle and predicts the potential direction of gaze,” says Anna Mrozek. “This improves accessibility while reducing costs,” she emphasizes.
Anna Mrozek’s diploma project was recognized by the jury of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Automatic Control and Informatics competition for the best diploma project, earning first place.
“The project is truly of a high standard. The graduate is passionate and enthusiastic about creating new things. The application itself has great potential and could benefit many people,” highlights Prof. Andrzej Waindok, the project supervisor.
When asked about the topic of her project, Anna Mrozek explains that she wanted to work on something unconventional for her field. “Many people develop web applications, but I wanted to do something different. My sister is an optometrist, specializing in vision correction. She suggested that this could be a promising direction,” recalls Eng. Anna Mrozek, who is now continuing her master’s degree in computer science, specializing in intelligent systems.