Chromebooks are getting a face control feature soon

At last year’s I/O event, Google introduced Project Gameface, a hands-free AI-powered gaming mouse. The feature allowed users with physical disabilities to control a PC’s cursor utilizing head movement and facial gestures. So far, the Project Gameface has been limited to desktop machines. However, the company is now bringing the open-source feature to Chromebooks. Soon, Chromebook users will be able to control their devices using face movements.

Chromebook users will be able to control their devices using their face

At the I/O 2024 event, Google announced that all Chromebooks are getting a brand-new feature that will allow users to control their devices using just their faces. The new functionality will let Chromebook users move the mouse cursor simply by turning their heads. All clicking operations can be performed by squeezing your lips.

The Chromebook users can also control their game characters by smiling or shrugging their eyebrows. The program is customizable and supports other gestures like open mouth, smile, squeezing your mouth to the side, looking left/right/up, and raising eyebrows. These supported gestures can be mapped to any input that’s supported by Chrome OS. Apart from controlling the interface, you can also trigger the Google Assistant with any gesture to type with your voice and more.

The new accessibility feature of the Chromebooks for physically disabled people is built on Google MediaPipe. The functionality was “inspired by the story of quadriplegic game streamer Lance Carr”. The search titan collaborated with the game streamer last year to bring the Project Gameface to life. The feature made it possible for PC users to control their entire OS without the need for usual input tools or an expensive head-tracking mouse.

The feature doesn’t require specialized hardware and works on all Chromebooks

The best thing about the new accessibility Project Gameface feature of the Chromebooks is that it doesn’t require specialized hardware. You don’t even need a brand new Chromebook to use this functionality. It works on all Chromebook products from various manufacturers. The feature simply utilizes your Chromebook’s front-facing camera to work.

The Project Gameface feature for the Chromebooks will be available at some point later this year. Those who can’t wait for the official launch can try a preview version of the open-source tool. It is available in the Project Gameface Github repository. The same feature is also coming to Android smartphones and tablets in near future.