Talking to your Android smartphone with your eyes is now possible thanks to Google

Google just added support for 17 more languages ​​to its accessibility app, which allows people with speech and motor disabilities to communicate only through their eyes.

Look to Speak, a Google accessibility app that allows people to use their eyes to express themselves is now available in new languages, including French. The app was originally announced in December 2020, but like most projects from Google, it has so far only been available in English. It is now compatible with 17 new languages.

It fits in Google’s plan to make its smartphones and other devices more accessible. The American company had recently launched Relate, a voice assistant that helps people with speech disorders, and introduced a one-hand mode for large smartphones with Android 12.

How does the Look to Speak app work?

This app tracks eye movements to select pre-written sentences and make the phone speak out loud. It is therefore a handy tool for people with various types of disabilities that prevent them from using their limbs or their voices.

The operation of the application is quite simple. The interface has two columns of common words and phrases. You must first locate the desired phrase on the screen. Then it will suffice to move your eyes left or right to select it or build sentences with several words. Once you have selected a phrase, the phone will say it aloud.

To read also – Google Pixel: you can now answer unwanted calls without picking up

Your smartphone will use the front camera to capture your eye movements, then use machine learning algorithms to confirm your chosen phrase. Not all useful phrases are of course displayed on both columns, but the app is open for customization to allow the introduction of new sentences that will facilitate communication with your loved ones, or for adjust the sensitivity of eye movement detection. The Google video below shows how it works.

Source: Android Police