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Do iPads have eye-tracking assistive tech?

Answer: No, but now they can with this new case.

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Tobii Dynavox has been making assistive eye-tracking technology for Windows devices for years, but this is the first time they’ve been able to make one for Apple’s iPads. The company’s new product, the TD Pilot, is an iPad case that allows people with disabilities to operate the tablets by moving their eyes.

The TD Pilot works with iPads running iOS 15 through the operating software’s added support for eye-tracking inputs. The large circular cursor follows the user’s gaze around the screen, and to select or click on something, they just need to hold their gaze on it. The case also has a rear display for messages as well as speakers, cameras and infrared sensors for eye tracking.

While the device works best with the 12.9-inch iPad Pro, it’s compatible with a range of iPad models. Designed for specific use cases such as mounting on wheelchairs, it’s available via prescription and is medically vetted and insurance-covered. “We already make iPad-based solutions where they basically control with joysticks and fingers, but up until very recently, eye tracking was not something you could do with an iPad or iPadOS,” Tobii Dynavox CEO Fredrik Ruben told CNET. “This probably won’t be the holy grail for everyone, but the iPad does meet a lot of the requirements for a lot of people.”