Imagine surfing the Internet using only your eyes and a keyboard. With the new Gaze-enhanced User Interface Design project (GUIDe), computer users can now navigate software using eye-tracking technology instead of a mouse.

Computer science doctoral student Manu Kumar created the software that enables every day computer users to use eye-tracking technology. His applications will allow users to navigate the Internet, scroll through text documents and type passwords — all without the use of a mouse or track pad.

Though seemingly novel, eye-tracking technology is not new — it has been used in the past for various reasons.

“Previous work on eye-tracking has had two main directions,” said Kumar’s adviser Terry Winograd, professor of computer science. “One is for people who can only use eyes, such as quadriplegics. [...] The second is for studies in which we want to understand where people are looking when they work on the computer.”

“Manu’s innovation is in looking at how direct use of eye-tracking can be valuable even for people who are able to also use the mouse, keyboard, etc.,” he added.

The interface of the computer has built-in infrared lights that shine into the user’s eyes, Kumar explained. A camera senses the reflection and the computer uses that information to pinpoint where the user is looking.

“Now you don’t have to move the mouse to click on it,” Kumar said. “You’re already looking at it.”

Kumar has developed approximately 10 different applications in his research thus far.

One practical — and potentially identity-theft preventing — application of Kumar’s software is the “password” program. When a password is required, a large keyboard appears on the screen. The user then enters a password simply by looking at the screen keyboard’s letters.

“It’s really easy to see what [users] are typing, but hard to tell where they are looking,” Kumar said. “[By using the eye-tracking software,] people can’t do shoulder surfing.”

Kumar has concluded in initial testing that users find the eye-tracking software easy to learn and easy to use.

“It’s remarkably natural — you get used to it pretty fast,” said Jeff Klingner, a doctoral student in computer science. “I’d say it’s gotten a little bit easier [since my initial use], but it was pretty easy from the beginning.”

Kumar expects the eye-tracking technology and software will be available for the public only when it becomes more affordable. The technology currently costs $25,000.