Has the era of hands-free Web surfing arrived?
Dmitry Gorodnichy, an inventor from the Institute of Information Technology in Ottawa, has developed a computer navigation system that relies on the movements of a user’s nose to direct a cursor, New Scientist reported this week.
For good measure, a simple blink of the right or left eye corresponds to the right or left click of a mouse button, the magazine said.
The inventor expects the nose-steered mouse, or “nouse”, will make using a computer easier for people with disabilities or for video game enthusiasts who would like to slay bad guys with the bob of the head and blink of an eye.
The magazine said the technology works in conjunction with a single Webcam plugged into a computer’s USB port. From the onset of a session, the nouse’s Webcam takes a snapshot of the user’s face, focussing in on the tip of the nose as the guide point.
Gorodnichy chose the nose because it is easier to track than other facial features, the magazine said.
The technology matches the cursor’s movements to the path of the nose as the head moves side to side. Motion detection software, meanwhile, is used to pinpoint the blink of a user’s eye. A double blink switches the nouse on.
Industry observers are mixed on the practical implications of the invention. While some see it as a feature to be used in conjunction with a keyboard and mouse, others are not so sure.
“I cannot ignore the high silliness factor of nouse,” said Joe Laszlo, a technology analyst at Jupiter Research in New York. “People balk at doing things that require them to look silly and there is ample room for looking silly here.”