English

The eyeCan project is

  • developing software and hardware
  • for people who cannot move their bodies for Lou Gehrig’s disease or Lock in Syndrome
  • to allow them to access computers and connect with the world (by themselves and without the help of others)

Though eyeCan may seem like a simple device, we are hopeful it can help improve the quality of life for those suffering from Lou Gehrig’s disease (ALS) and Lock in syndrome (LIS). We really enjoyed making the eyeCan, and since this is an open-source platform, we hope that more and more people will jump in to improve the device. eyeCan is currently not for sale. The eyeCan project team is providing only the technology. Our hope is that this technology can spread to reach people in need. We’re currently building an ecosystem in South Korea. One of the Korean government institutes has agreed to distribute eyeCans across South Korea. This institute will build the eyeCans and install them for more than 200 patients in 2012. With this small step, the scale of distribution will keep increasing. The eyecan project team will be happy to support building an ecosystem in other countries by sharing our knowledge and know-hows.




Make eyeCan
1)    Prepare the material for eyeCan H/W
  • Web Cam:(PS3Eye) x 1
  • IR Filter (Camera Film) x 1
  • IR LED (PI-4A521DH) x4
  • Glasses x 1
  • Battery Holder (double AAA type) x 1
  • Battteries (AAA) x 2
  • * A gluegun or a soldering iron may need for better connection.

2)    Make eyeCan H/W



Use eyeCan
  1. Hardware setting - Put a monitor and let the user wear an eyeCan in the position the user feels comfortable in
  2. S/W setting - Manual
  3. Using eyeCan as a computer mouse - Manual
  4. Additional application for eyeCan (P-Ctrl) - Manual



eyeCan S/W Source Code

You can download the entire source code of eyeCan v1.0. through the link below.

https://github.com/sangww/eyecan
(open the “project/eyeCan.sln” file with VS2010 program)




 Press




Brief Story

eyeCan Project is a project initiated by a small group of Samsung Electronics employees who voluntarily gathered and started working on. The project was inspired by Eyewriter project and has its goal of helping users to operate computers and do games by converting eye movements into computer input with Eyewriter. Moreover, we are trying to publicize its methods of production and user instructions to create better value for people who need this technology and community which have their own power to make the world better. As we know, there are some instruments for common use but there have been some difficulties of high price,  excess to the products, unfamiliarity of instructions, so that the users cannot be not familiar with the earlier products. So the members of the project have been gathered to solve the problems for those who are technically and socially isolated. The members started the project with visiting potential users and testing eyeCan. By visiting those who have Lou Gerig's disease and severe muscular disease, we could feel their desperation. But the project weren't going easily. While we were going through many failures and frustration, we were thinking about people who have been wishing for the hope of using computer and communicating with their family by their own. And then suddenly, we started to see the possibilities and the changes have begun. Currently, the members of "the Korea Assistive Technology Service Institute(한국보조공학서비스기관협회)" have been making shortlists of 200 beneficiaries led by "the Korea Disabled People's Development Institute(KODDI)" and planning to supply eyeCan.




Team
[조성구 Alex Sunggoo Cho]PM, HW, User Test

[정진용 Jinyong Chung] Connector

[유경화 Leena Kyunghwa Yu ] Communication

[이준석 Jun Seok Lee] UX (planning & design)

[이상원 Sang-won Leigh]Software, Design