This Made-for-iPad accessory can transform lives

As a boost to accessible technology, people with disabilities, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), motor neurone disease (MND), cerebral palsy or spinal cord injury can now control their iPads using only their eyes and a newly introduced device.

TD Pilot brings a voice and control

TD Pilot allows a user to control the iPad, use apps and even generate naturally sound speech using the eyes. It relies on the support of eye-tracking devices that Apple introduced in the iPadOS 15 and is medically certified for use by people with disabilities such as ALS and cerebral palsy.

The product is an authorized Made-for-iPad accessory developed by the Tobii subsidiary Tobii Dynavox in collaboration with Apple. Tobii is a global leader in eye-tracking technology with solutions in use across thousands of companies and research institutes worldwide.

What is this and what does it do?

The system makes use of the iPad, the custom cover and Tobii Dynavox apps running on the device. These apps include TD Talk, which generates natural-sounding speech, and TD Snap, which is described as a symbol-supported solution to facilitate communication.

The robust waterproof and dustproof cover is also worth noting. It expands the iPad with additional features, including powerful speakers, a battery pack and wheelchair mounting and boasts a small rear-mounted display that reflects what the TD Pilot user is saying, to help get face-to-face communication to feels more natural.

Eye-tracking technology can be unreliable in bright light, but TD Pilot says its system, which is available today, can track the eye even in bright sunlight.

Apple builds basic technology

Product introduction has not been easy. Not only have Apple and Tobii worked together to develop it for some time, but iPadOS support has been underway for many years.

Apple has always been at the forefront of the game in terms of accessibility. But some features, such as eye tracking or gesture detection, have taken time to build, though it is already possible to control devices using its innovative Voice Over technologies.

The principle of building it, and they come, of course, applies here as well. Now that Apple’s mobile products support such a wide range of accessibility features, it seems inevitable that we’ll see more developers deliver solutions of this kind to Apple’s market.

Sarah Herrlinger, Apple’s senior director of Global Accessibility Policy and Initiatives, said in a TD Pilot statement:

“We are pleased that people who need this technology will have the ability to control the iPad only with their eyes … We incorporate basic technology, including eye tracking support, into our operating systems to make them accessible, and we are excited that Tobii Dynavox’s TD Pilot is taking advantage of this to enable people with disabilities to pursue their passions. “

With Apple’s research leader in AI / ML Accessibility, Jeffrey Bigham, Herrlinger will speak at the Sight Tech Global Conference on December 1st. (The session involving them is called “Design for all: Accessibility and Machine Learning at Apple. “) Herrlinger also spoke at the same event in 2020, where she focused on VoiceOver Recognition and machine learning.

Tools that make a difference

Solutions like these can make a real difference to people. Team Gleason is one of the largest ALS non-profit organizations. Its Chief Impact Officer, Blair Casey, called the TD Pilot for the iPad launch “a significant turning point for accessibility.”

In part, this is because this powerful technology is now available on an iPad for the first time, even though it’s been on Windows since its inception. “So many people who need eyetracking technology are forced to give up their original technology,” Casey said.

If there’s a chin, it’s the price.

The full system can cost many thousands of dollars. And although it’s available for iPad, it’s not yet on Mac. It seems inevitable that the price will put this out of reach of many people who would benefit from it, even though the results may be profound. To be fair, this is not exactly a plug-and-play solution; there must also be a lot of work going on around training and assessing a person’s condition.

Competitive solutions using the same technology are also starting to emerge, so hopefully costs will fall over time, allowing even more people to make use of this technology.

Please follow me further Twitter, or join me in AppleHolics bar & grill and Apple discussion groups on MeWe.