iNavigate is a new head-mouse which uses an iSight camera and is implemented entirely in software in a similar manner to Windows’ “CameraMouse” program.
iNavigate takes advantage of face detection technology as a input. By a well-designed control mode, iNavigate allows users to take charge of the cursor on the screen. Users can move the cursor to the position they want to go and perform left click, right click, double click and drag operation.
The program is by Hongyi Zhao, Liyi Zhao from the Apple Laboratory at Tongji University in China. They took it on as an independant project out of interest and are interested in continuing development of the program. The system is not quite ready for prime-time yet, with a slight memory leak happening with some iSight setups, but it looks very promising.
The program requires an iSight camera to function so unfortunately I can’t test it, but there’s a demonstration/tutorial video provided in the download which looks impressive. Some features, like using quick head movements for mouse clicking, I haven’t seen in other head mouse setups. What are your “dream features” for a program like this? I’d love to hear in the comments and I’m sure the programmers would also.
- Ricky Buchanan
Paul J Natsch July 17, 2008 at 2:44 am
Wow! That is really cool! I wonder if fullscreen games prevent this from functioning? I also wonder how precise it is? Using this in combination with MacSpeech Dictate and a desktop microphone could conceivably make your Mac completely hands-free (and completely Headmaster, Headmouse, etc… free). Not that I’m ready to give up my Headmaster or anything just yet but this is definitely very interesting and certainly cheaper for people that can’t afford expensive pointing devices.
Unfortunately I still use Tiger so I’ll have to wait to try it out.
Hongyi Zhao July 17, 2008 at 8:07 pm
Hi,
So sorry I didn’t give a version for tiger. I guess many people would switch to Leopard very soon so I just drop it last year. I hope I can give a Tiger version sooner than September.
Please tell me any thoughts if you want to:-)
Paul J Natsch July 18, 2008 at 3:22 am
Hongyi,
Thank you for creating something like this.
I plan on upgrading to Leapord soon so it’s not a problem for me. But a Tiger version certainly would be great.
Until I actually try it I can’t comment much but it occurred to me that this should probably work pretty well with the Dwelling technology found in KeyStrokes. With Dwelling turned on it might be preferable for some people to do mouse clicks that way. But it might be preferable to do them the iNavigate way as well. Whatever the case more choices are a good thing.
It would be great if Apple could build this functionality into their OS.
Tex Williamson October 15, 2008 at 4:52 pm
I wasn’t able to find it for download. I really want to try this before I go buy an expensive infrared headmouse system for my son, but the apple download page doesn’t take me to anywhere to download it. Any idea where I can find a copy?
Ricky Buchanan October 16, 2008 at 6:29 pm
@Tex: I think if you go to the iNavigate Code Website then you’ll be able to download it. Look for the green box on the right of your screen that’s labeled “Featured Downloads” and post again if you have any trouble, OK?
Best of luck for you and your son.
Kati November 11, 2008 at 6:27 am
So you can download this iNavigate to try already?
Will it work with keystrokes? I have iMac with built in camera already and think my OS is 10.5.5 (can never remember which animal this is!)
I dont need it yet but am interested for future use in how much it would cost? should be cheaper if you are using hardware already available on your mac, than the headmouse for example or smartnav where you are having to pay for a camera/sensor system as well?
Would be great if it worked with all my existing keystrokes panels and on-screen keyboards without having to spend hundreds of pounds again when my co-ordination got that bad!
Hongyi Zhao November 11, 2008 at 7:26 am
Hi, kati.
iNavigate is totally free now. You can download it at
http://code.google.com/p/inavigate/downloads/list
Hope you enjoy it. And if you have any enhancement about it. Please email me and I will put work on it if possible. Thanks.
Ricky Buchanan November 11, 2008 at 7:56 pm
@Kati: You can download it whenever you like. It’s free and will always be free, I think. So if it works fine for you and you already have an iSight camera then you don’t have to buy anything!
I think that it should work just fine with KeyStrokes, but you won’t need to use teh KeyStrokes dwelling as the head mouse has it’s built in way to do clicking by moving your head as the video shows.
Just go to the website linked in the message and click on the .dmg ink in the green section headed “Featured Downloads” and you can try it right away. I’d love it if you would write about how it works for you – it would make a great article!
Kati November 11, 2008 at 11:30 pm
It looks really good but i couldnt control the cursor, when i was moving head it wasnt moving and when i was trying to get it to go in certain direction when it started moving i couldnt control it.
I tried making keystrokes keyboard bigger to make it easier to hit right keys but couldnt manage it, so i’m not sure where i went wrong. Had to go back to joystick to send a message.
Im probably missing some instruction somewhere on the video as I am deaf so maybe putting subtitles on your demo video would make things clearer.
When the square is over the green dot in middle of my nose where is the cursor meant to be on the screen? Sometimes i get message about having 2 secs to centre something but I’m not sure what I’m doing wrong?
Carlos F. January 15, 2009 at 12:50 am
Hi,
I am very impressive wih your software…but I will have to wait for the Tiger version…if released.
You know if is it possible to integrate your software with flight simulators (X-Plane v9) so you can explore the cockpit of a plane with the movement of the head?
In X-Plane you can do this exploration over the 3D cockpit with a mouse, so I suppose it would be possible to use iNavigate software to replace mouse. Desafortunately, I am a Tiger user so I cannot test by myself.
Any news will be appreciated.
Regards,
CarlosF.