“Easy Access” : Eye-Movements and Function Selection

1. “Easy Access” : Eye-Movements and Function Selection Oleg Spakov Tampere Unit for Computer-Human Interaction 2003

2. Background - EZ Access [1] • ButtonHelp - "EZ Button“. While the EZ Button is held down, a user can press any other button on the device and its name will be spoken aloud and displayed on the screen of the device (without activating the buttons function) • 3-button-list. Allows access to all labels, displays and controls of the device • ShowSound. All sounds made by the device have a visual equivalent shown on the display 1

3. 1st layout 2nd layout 3rd layout 4th layout EZ Access Design • Every layout has only 2 alternatives (options or choices) - up and down • The tree of layouts is defined by length of the cycle 2

4. EZ Access Key Design Principles (1/3) • At any point in time there are a finite number of information items and control choices that a user has to work with. • Combining discoverability (intelligibility), simplicity and speed. • Standard controls cannot easily be identified independently by people who cannot see, cannot read, or do not understand symbols 3

5. EZ Access Key Design Principles (2/3) • Some people cannot perform simultaneous or chorded functions • Some people do not understand or are unable to memorize product procedures, and should not have to refer to the manual • Access features in public and unfamiliar devices must be fast to learn and easy to comprehend for novices 4

6. EZ Access Key Design Principles (3/3) • A Standard symbol for EZ Access will help indicate its presence on a device • There are still some users who are unable to use the current EZ access package due to severe and multiple disabilities 5

7. Non-”easy access” layouts • 1 key = 1 function (1 character) • No switching, no programming • 1 layer tactile markers 6

8. QWERTY keyboard: 101/102-keys 66 keys produce ASCII codes (text input), while available number of symbols is much greater CapsLock and NumLock – switch layouts Ctrl, Alt, Shift – produce different scan-codes First step to easy access Letter case Numpad / navigation Other switchers 7

9. Bat One [2] • A one-handed compact input device that replicates all the functions of a full-size keyboard. • 3 keys are switchers • 4 keys are for input 8

10. Half QWERTY one handed keyboard [2] • To type the letters of the other half, you hold down the space bar and do the same finger movement that would normally be done by the other hand. Hitting the space bar alone still types a space. • Space bar is a layouts switcher 9

11. Second step to easy access Mobile phone: • Only 12 non-functional keys • Almost all symbols from ordinal keyboard • Use 1-4 fast clicks to access other symbols • Each key is a switcher as well as input key • Switching applies only 1 key, not a whole layout 10

12. Dynamic display augmentative communication system [3] Hierarchical layouts – every button opens next layout 11

13. “Switch/Scanning” [3] The layout is only one, but the access to every symbol requires 2 strokes Scanning is automatic (1 second for a line/symbol), switching requires a key pressing Scanning lines Scanning symbols in the 1st line 12

14. Gus! Multimedia Speech System [3] Hierarchical layouts – every button opens next layout The outcome is speech synthesis 13

15. Eye-tracking: click on dwell time [4] • A button to switch layouts • Layouts grouped by 6 letters • Letters grouped by its probability 14

16. EagleEyes [5] EagleEyes allows a person to control the computer (through moving its cursor) through electrodes by moving his or her eyes or head. EagleEyes is based on measuring a user's EOG or electro-oculographic potential. The EOG is a small electrical potential which indicates the position of the eye relative to the head. 15

17. EagleEyes 5 buttons for switching, 5 layouts 16

18. Symbol Creator • Saves screen space • Easy horizontal-only eye-movements • Easy coding (like a game) • Functional key Coding system • Full on-screen keyboard [6] • Symbol Creator 17

19. Symbol Creator – functionality (1/7) 18

20. Symbol Creator – Easy Access • Help is visible and audible • 7 mixed (text input, text format commands and layout switching) keys instead of full keyboard keeping all functionality • 2 strokes per character/command • Every button opens and closes a list of choices 19

21. Second layout (floating) Third layout (optional) Symbol Creator ~ Easy Access First layout (constant) 20

22. Symbol Creator – other layouts • Numbers • Signs 21

23. iMobile • The same keys as in mobile phones • Extra functional key • Dwell time instead of click • Selection = leaving out a key • Every key has 3 or 4 choices 22

24. iMobile – functionality 23

25. iMobile – other layouts • Numbers and math signs 24

26. References • EZ Access. Available at: http://trace.wisc.edu/docs/acm_cuu2000 • NanoPac Inc. Available at: http://www.nanopac.com • Gus Communications. Available at: http://www.gusinc.com • Bringing Gaze-based Interaction Back to Basics. Available at: http://www.it-c.dk/research/EyeGazeInteraction/Papers/Paulin_Hansen_Johansen_2001.pdf • EagleEyes. Available at: http://www.cs.bc.edu/~eagleeye • Majaranta P., Eye Typing. Available at:http://www.cs.uta.fi/hci/gaze/eyetyping.php • SMI. Available at: http://www.smi.de/ 25

27. “Easy Access” : Eye-Movements and Function Selection THE END 26