Bits of py

So I have enrolled in a software class at uni... It appears that there is some sort of assignment due next week... In C++. Small we issue with that being I don't YET know C++. I have to make a game. It appears everyone else in the class is just modifying some code the lecturer gave us in FLTK. Now personally I think FLTK is almost as ugly as java's SWING so I am treating this as an extended opportunity to use wxWidgets. I have used wxPython before so that should help a little! Now I get to use it at a much lower level! So to start with I have got Code::Blocks an open source cpp IDE, it seems pretty good and has inbuilt support for both fltk and wx apps. Using the included wxSmith tool I managed to make the GUI for my game in no time at all. Now I just have to learn the language and code the game! My idea is to make a jetboat racer game. There will be a map and you will have to race around it... Sounds simple right!?

Well my project has been approved (I think) So now I guess I have to start working on some crazy eye tracking! First order of business will be getting the existing Matlab code running. After that I will try compile and run the open source C code that works using two firewire cameras. If that looks all good I will wrap it in SWIG for python and then port it to USB cameras. All going according to plan a fully python version should be released as open source by the conclusion of the project. The difficult bit might be the hardware - getting two small cameras close to ones face with out being too annoying! One has to point at the eye and the other points forward at what you are looking at.

My goodness me, I don't know what to do with all this speed!!!

Well it looks like I got my first choice for final year projects, Sweet! Project: Robust Low Cost Eye Tracking. The HIT Lab NZ is interested in developing hardware and software for a robust low cost eye tracker that could be used for computer interfaces that respond to eye gaze. The hardware should be a head worn camera with Infra Red LED that shines in the eye and detects the reflection. Simple image processing software can then be used to detect the point of maximum reflection and so track the eye gaze point. The hit lab already has an early working version of this, the goal of this project is to explore alternative hardware designs and develop more robust software to work with the hardware. Work can be based on the OpenEyes platform. If there is sufficient time - an application showing how eye gaze could be used in a computer interface. Could have my work cut out for me this year!