During the Google I/O 2023 developer keynote, the company announced a surprise new software project that started with an effort to help a hardcore gamer with a very challenging issue.
The software project started with Lance Carr, a PC gamer from Colorado who also happens to have a rare form of muscular dystrophy. He cannot move his body much, but playing PC games like World of Warcraft allows him to connect to people in the outside world. Unfortunately, Carr's house burned down in a fire, which also destroyed the adaptive accessories he needed to play PC games.
So a team at Google worked with Carr on software called Project GameFace. It allowed Carr to control his PC accessories just with facial expressions. He can even virtually sign his name with the software. Best of all, it runs with the use of a normal webcam.
Google has decided to release Project GameFace as an open source project, so anyone can download and help develop and improve this facial reading software. You can download the source code now on GitHub.
