Eye Tracking as a Control Method for Electric Wheelchairs at HomeBrace - Promise, Progress, Practicality.

For people with severe physical disabilities, independent mobility can be transformative. Electric wheelchairs offer significant freedom, but traditional controls, such as joysticks or sip-and-puff switches, are not suitable for everyone. That's where eye-tracking technology comes in, a breakthrough that allows users to control wheelchairs using eye movements alone. Companies like HomeBrace push boundaries, show promising solutions, but also point to practical challenges.

How eye tracking for electric wheelchairs works

Eye-tracking systems use cameras and sensors to monitor a user's gaze. Sophisticated software translates the direction of gaze into wheelchair commands – the gaze forward moves forward, left turns to the left, and the closing of the eyes stops. The user can also adjust the seats or manipulate assistive robotic arms, all of which are controlled by eye movements.

Benefits: Empowerment, Intuitiveness, Integration

There are some very clear potential benefits from integrating eye tracking into mobility. These include:

HomeBrace's system allows hands-free control of electric wheelchairs – ideal for people with ALS, high spinal cord injuries or cerebral palsy. Just look at driving.
The control is based on the natural direction of view. Precise calibration allows users to quickly get used to the system and operate it effectively.
The eye-tracking system significantly reduces physical strain and is therefore particularly suitable for users who tire quickly or are limited in their mobility.
The MyEcc Pupil Prop glasses from HomeBrace are equipped with lenses that automatically adapt to different light conditions. This means that the control system can also be used outdoors and in direct sunlight without restriction, a major advantage over many other eye-tracking systems.

HomeBrace in Action: Real-World Examples

This innovative technology is not only something for the future. It is used daily by many people with disabilities. HomeBrace has many examples for you:

MyEcc Prop & MyArm: The wheelchair-mounted MyEcc Prop system converts eye movements from any eye-controlled communication device into wheelchair and seat adjustment commands. In combination with MyArm, the robust, powder-coated steel arm, the correct positioning of the eye-tracking unit is guaranteed – whether sitting, lying or standing.
MyEcc Pupil Prop Glasses: Inspired by the idea of wearable technology, these glasses track eye movements to operate a wheelchair safely and can stop the chair simply by closing your eyes. With the addition of light-adaptive lenses, the system is the first eye-controlled controller in the world that can also be used outdoors in direct sunlight without restrictions. Awarded by Focus Open 2020 and the German Design Award 2021, they balance aesthetics and functionality.

These innovative HomeBrace systems are commercially available in Europe and include test support, insurance documentation and ongoing service, making them accessible beyond laboratory prototypes.

Challenges: accuracy, safety and fatigue.

To implement the technology effectively, it is necessary to understand the challenges that some users face and reduce their impact. Unintentional glances can trigger movements. Systems require sophisticated dwell times or blink detection, closing your eyes stops movement, but sustained concentration can be exhausting. Much of this is fixed through careful calibration and personal adjustment. HomeBrace is aware that poorly fitting glasses can interfere with tracking. To solve this problem, regular recalibration is required when visibility or lighting conditions change.

Eye-tracking-capable assistive robotic arms, as well as electric wheelchairs, are well-documented in research. HomeBrace's MyEcc Pupil Prop eye control system is one of the few commercially available systems that seamlessly combines eye-tracking control with wheelchair-mounted robotic arms. Recent studies emphasise the importance of hybrid controls, shared autonomy, and multimodal input systems in ensuring safe and effective operating concepts.

The way forward

With the innovative MyEcc Pupil Prop, HomeBrace offers the world's only commercially available eye-tracking system that enables reliable wheelchair control even in direct sunlight. The specially developed light-adaptive lenses enable use indoors and outdoors alike – a decisive advantage over systems that may fail due to changing light conditions.

Thanks to precise algorithms, intuitive eye control and hybrid operating concepts in combination with head control or joysticks, the technology offers a high degree of reliability. The ergonomic design with a lightweight, slim design ensures high wearing comfort and seamless integration of the sensors.

As a technological pioneer, HomeBrace develops market-ready assistance systems that prove themselves in everyday life. In close cooperation with the users, solutions are created that go far beyond the possibilities of conventional wheelchairs and redefine true freedom of mobility.

Inference

Eye tracking enables groundbreaking control of electric wheelchairs, allowing users to be independent with minimal movements. HomeBrace's systems are an example of practical use: they work both indoors and outdoors, integrate chair and seat backs, and feature an award-winning design. With the maturity of technology and the proliferation of hybrid controls, eye-tracking-based mobility promises a future where every glance can be a step towards freedom.