Changing the world with your eyes
How Shin from South Korea creates CAD designs for the community using Semanux Access on macOS.
Semanux Access user Shin from South Korea was diagnosed with ALS in 2020. Today, he is tetraplegic and permanently ventilated, but that doesn't stop him: Until 2023, he conducted research at the Asan Medical Center in Seoul and continues to design CAD models for 3D-printed assistive devices that he shares with the community free of charge. Everything he needs for this, he controls exclusively with his eyes – on his Mac.
On the right, you can see the Semanux Access panel on Shin's screen.
Semanux Access makes this possible: As the only software, it enables the use of an eye tracker on macOS. Shin uses the "Eyetuitive" from GazeFirst – also a new development from a startup in Germany. Learn more about our cooperation with GazeFirst in our blog post from last year.
Shin's personal configuration:
- Apple Studio Display with 27 inches
- Interaction in Semanux Access: Express mode
- Eyetuitive eye tracker from GazeFirst for moving the cursor
- Webcam for facial expressions for left, right, and double click
- Automatic click: off
This way, he creates precise CAD designs, browses the web, writes documents, and stays in touch with friends through social networks. Asked about his user experience, he said:
I can use almost all PC functions as if I were using a mouse. The pointer can be moved precisely, making it easy to select even small menus [...], making them easy to use even for first-time users.
Shin, user of Semanux Access with an eye tracker.
Shin uses the computer with Semanux Access his way.
One of the CAD designs he has crafted is a respirator tube fixation device with a magnet.
His recently completed project: a 3D-printable eye tracker mount for the Apple Studio Display. All you need is a VESA-100 plate and a 3D printer. The mount consists of two parts, both of which can be manufactured on a 3D printer. The attachment with the spacer allows for a configurable distance to the eyes and an adjustable angle from –5° to approximately 30°.
CAD model of the 3D-printable eye tracker mount by Shin.
Interested in the CAD files? Feel free to contact us through our contact page – we will forward your request directly to Shin.
