Apple May Add Eye-Tracking Technology To Allow You Use Mac Hands-Free

Windows PCs have supported eye-tracking technology for some time. It seems that Apple is likely to consider introducing this technology as well. According to a patent called "Gaze detection in a 3D mapping environment," in the future, users will no longer need the mouse, using the Mac in a radically different way.

The patent was filed in September 2017 and described how the technology will recognize a user's gaze, performs segmentation to extract the target, and then determines the gaze to an action on the screen. The patent also explains that a possible tracking system can capture the movement of other parts of the user's body, including the head and hand, then input it into a device to help the user select an operation, and wants the feature to differentiate itself from the current user interface:

Many different types of user interface devices and methods are currently available. Common tactile interface devices include a computer keyboard, a mouse, and a joystick. Touchscreens detect the presence and location of a touch by a finger or other object within the display area. Infrared remote controls are widely used, and wearable hardware devices have been deployed,

Any Mac that integrates the tracking feature will be very popular without any question. Apple's latest devices tend to integrate more internal adjustments rather than revolutionary breakthroughs. As always, these patents may not be a reality, nice to know it's there though.