The Chinese phone maker and sub-brand of Huawei, Honor, has announced that it"ll roll out eye-tracking technology from August 27 to give users a new way to control their phone. The company has pitched this tech as a new way to help people with disabilities use their phones.
Honor claims to be the first phone brand to launch eye tracking in their mobile operating system, though, Neowin can"t verify this for sure. It said that this move adheres to its "commitment to human-centric innovation". With MagicOS 8.0, users will be able to use their eyes to open notifications and apps.
One disability that affects people"s ability to use a smartphone is amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). It affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord and causes the loss of muscle control. In the later stages of the disease, patients are often only left in control of their eyes and that"s all you need for Honor"s eye tracking to work.
Honor said it"s not stopping at eye tracking. It is also developing non-invasive brain-computer interface (BCI) technologies that will allow users to control their phones using brain electrical signals. Honor said it has been testing out this technology with people with ALS.
Commenting on Honor"s work to enable technology for more people, Bernard Muller, AI-assisted artist and ALS challenger, said:
"ALS challengers are testament to human resilience, and I am proud to be a part of an initiative that raises awareness for my community’s quiet determination. My hope is that the transformative power of AI technology emboldens more people with disabilities to express themselves through art, communication and social movements."
Honor didn"t share a full list of devices that would be getting this update but it did say that Magic6 Pro would be among those that do get it.
If you have an Honor phone, are you looking forward to trying this feature out?