How Does it Work?

Basically, the mouse pointer follows the location that the user is looking at on the screen.  The eyes replace the mouse. Selection is made by looking at a small area of the screen for a short period of time, which causes a mouse click.  Usable with any commercial software, EagleEyes is a general mouse replacement that 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.  Surface electrodes are placed on the user's head, above and below one eye, and on each side of the head to the left and right of the eyes. The five electrodes are connected to a small battery-powered electrophysiological amplifier which is connected to a computer.  A program in the computer translates the signals received from the electrodes into the position of the mouse pointer on the screen.  When the user moves his or her eyes, the mouse pointer moves.

What has been Accomplished?

OFOA signed an exclusive license agreement with Boston College allowing the Foundation to manufacture and distribute EagleEyes at no charge to universities, special needs school, centers for assistive technology and non-profit organizations in the US and the UK, in the spring of 2005. Training and technical assistance is also provided at no cost by the Foundation.

The EagleEyes technology is manufactured in Salt Lake City , Utah by Sanmina-SCI and Plastic Fabricating. Manufacturing costs are $1,200.00 per system.

In 2006, the EagleEyes technology was gifted to Healthbridge Children’s Hospital in Orange, CA; Shore Educational Collaborative in Wakfield, MA; South Shore Collaborative in Hingham, MA; Holly Bank Trust in West Yorkshire, England; Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah; the Utah Center for Assistive Technology in Salt Lake City, Utah; Dan W. Petersen in American Fork, Utah; and Hartvigsen School in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Two all Inclusive Schools in Utah, Viewmont Elementary in Murray School District and Rocky Mountain Elementary School in Alpine District began using the technology in their special needs classrooms in the winter of 2007.  Viewmont Elementary also hosted an all day EagleEyes training facilitated by OFOA and Boston College for 6 of the Utah schools using the technology.

In the spring of 2007, the McKay School of Education, Special Education Department at Brigham Young University began training their special education teacher candidates on how to use EagleEyes.  Education faculty will also use the technology to teach general education teacher candidates who may have disabled students in their classes.

The Utah Schools for the Deaf and Blind headquartered in Ogden, Utah received EagleEyes in the summer of 2007.  Jordan Valley School hosted the EE training session facilitated by OFOA and Boston College.

What is the Future for EagleEyes?

“EagleEyes 2008” is scheduled to appear in the spring of this year.  The new system is designed for improved ease of use and improved ease of manufacture.