Development of an eye- and gaze-tracking mechanism in an active and assisted living ecosystem

Abstract

This paper details the development of an open-source eye- and gaze-tracking mechanism designed for open, scalable, and decentralized Active and Assisted Living (AAL) ecosystems built on Wireless Sensor and Actuator Networks (WSANs). Said mechanism is deliberately conceived as yet another service-feature in an on-going implementation of an extended intelligent built-environment framework, one motivated and informed by both Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) as well as by emerging Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) considerations. It is nevertheless designed as a compatible and subsumable service-feature for existing above-characterized AAL frameworks. The eye- and gaze-tracking mechanism enables the user (1) to engage (i.e., open, shut, slide, turn-on/-off, etc.) with a variety of actuable objects and systems deployed within an intelligent built-environment via sight-enabled identification, selection, and confirmation; and (2) to extract and display personal identity information from recognized familiar faces viewed by the user. The first feature is intended principally (although not exclusively) for users with limited mobility, with the intention to support independence with respect to the control of remotely actuable mechanisms within the built-environment. The second feature is intended to compensate for loss of memory and/or visual acuity associated principally (although not exclusively) with the natural aging process. As with previously developed service-features, the present mechanism intends to increase the quality of life of its user(s) in an affordable, intuitive, and highly intelligent manner.