FILE PHOTO: The Google logo is seen at the Google headquarters in Mountain View, California on Sept. 2, 2011. Image: AFP/Kimihiro Hoshino via AFP Relaxnews
San Francisco, United States — Using a raised eyebrow or smile, people with speech or physical disabilities can now operate their Android-powered smartphones hands-free, Google said Thursday.
Two new tools put machine learning and front-facing cameras on smartphones to work detecting face and eye movements.
Users can scan their phone screen and select a task by smiling, raising eyebrows, opening their mouth, or looking to the left, right or up.
“To make Android more accessible for everyone, we’re launching new tools that make it easier to control your phone and communicate using facial gestures,” Google said.
TECHNOLOGY
TECHNOLOGY
TECHNOLOGY
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 61 million adults in the United States live with disabilities, which has pushed Google and rivals Apple and Microsoft to make products and services more accessible to them.
“Every day, people use voice commands, like ‘Hey Google’, or their hands to navigate their phones,” the tech giant said in a blog post.
