Smartphone users could soon be using their eyes rather than fingers to control the device.
A new AI eye-tracking feature unveiled by Chinese phone giant Honor can detect exactly where you are looking on the screen.
Able to distinguish between a quick glance and an intentional look, the phone will then carry out the action without the need to touch it.
The company has revealed the technology – called ‘Magic Capsule’ – will be available ‘soon’ on its new Magic 6 Pro.
While tech firms are increasingly looking for new ways for users to control their devices, from voice commands to hand gestures, Honor claims to be the first to do so with people’s eyes.
The new AI eye-tracking feature unveiled by Chinese phone giant Honor can detect exactly where you are looking on the screen. A visitor tries the new Honor Magic 6 Pro at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2024 in Barcelona
MagicOS is an Android-derived mobile operating system developed by Chinese technology company Honor
Eye-tracking technology works by monitoring where the user is looking through device’s camera.
It has been used in industries such as market research and advertising for several years to help work out exactly how best to engage users.
But there have been major obstacles until now to using it outside of controlled environments, particularly the complexity of the AI needed.
Honor however says it’s new Magic Capsule technology can not only monitor the user’s gaze but also ‘identify the intent’.
Users first need to calibrate their gaze, similar to setting up their fingerprint, by staring at various points on the screen.
Once set up, the AI can detect the where the person is looking from between 20cm to 50cm away.
To show ‘intent’, the user needs to keep looking at the spot for 1.8 seconds.
In a demo at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, the company showed how users can pick up or decline a call, open up text messages, or turn off a timer with a quick glance at the screen.
Eye-tracking technology works by monitoring where the user is looking through device’s camera
Demonstrating the possibilities that smartphone eye-tracking may unlock in the future, Honor said it is possible to control a car hands-free through the Magic6 Pro’s AI-powered eye-tracking system
Industry expert Paolo Pescatore said: ‘It’s good to see this tech being tracked into other categories like smartphones. For now, it feels a bit of a gimmick as a means to grab eyeballs.
‘All Asian vendors are trying to frantically differentiate their devices compared to rivals with eye catching features.
‘The cleverly designed feature should help it to stand to out in a crowded market. Also it will help gravitate people towards the brand who are loyal to other premium players like Apple and Samsung.
‘This is an area where will see lots of innovation in order to improve the user experience through gestures, eye and motion!’
