What is Dasher

Frequent Questions

Hardware options

• Head mouse, Highly recommended: Smart-Nav Head mouse from NaturalPoint (formerly sold as the TrackIR; don't buy a TrackIR now, however, as the current (2005) TrackIR is now specialised for gaming)
Uses one reflective dot stuck to your head and a small camera attached to your windows machine. (No linux version is currently available, but if NaturalPoint hear there is demand, I think they might respond!)
You can stick the dot on your finger or toe to make a finger-mouse or toe-mouse. We got best results by putting the dot on an extension so as to get accurate amplification of the body motion. Equivalently, put the reflective dot on the tip of a baseball hat. SETTINGS - for our first TrackIR, bought about 2002: We put Natural Point's "speed" control at its maximum (but not 2x) and its "smooth" control towards "-". For the smartnav3, we put the smoothing control to its smallest value (slider to the left), and the speed controls (for x and y amplification) in the middle; I wasn't sure whether I preferred Relative or Absolute mode. Further advice from users.
Other headmice: We very highly recommend the Origin Instruments HeadMouse Extreme , which feels a lot like a Navpoint smartnav to use, but has the advantage that it works instantly as a USB mouse, requiring no software at all. So it works on linux and mac too!

• Skipper (http://home.freeuk.net/skipperproject) includes advice about making your own custom hardware to enable control of your on-screen mouse and other other aspects of your computer. Free software is included for linux machines.
• Head-mouse From MouseVision Inc: VisualMouse (VM) software - widely used by disabled people, can be downloaded from www.mousevision.com free of charge. VM is a pointing device using a webcam that recognizes head motion (with no gear on the head). It works with Windows 98/ME/2000. [23/8/02.]
• A free headmouse. It runs under Windows.
• GyroMouse - Free space mouse - good for people with limited reach - and could probably be used as a head mouse or foot mouse.
• Carpal tunnel-friendly mouse: One Dasher-user recommends the hand-held IBM GlidePoint mouse.
• Eyetrackers: Eyetech - we used their Quickglance eyetracker, which costs about $3000. Very good value. We used the following settings: Setup->More Options->Update Rate 30, Smoothing Factor 1 or 2. (in contrast to the defaults which are 10, 7). Further info about the system is provided here.
• Eyetrackers: Eyegaze (LC) A high-quality tracker, and very easy to use. Works with Dasher, Though LC technologies have not pushed this opportunity (as of Oct 2005).
• Eye response Erica A high-quality tracker, and easy to use. Comes with sensible patented features such as an automated zoom whenever you dwell-click on a small piece of the windows display. Works with Dasher, and Eye response ship their product with Dasher. They are actively working (as of Octo 2005) on making their gaze tracking software change its behaviour when you are using Dasher (very responsive behaviour is good for Dasher). ($8000 for a complete system based on a tablet PC)
• Tobii's MyTobii -- the king of gaze-trackers - this one tracks both eyes and is robust to enormous head motions. Very impressive. About $25,000.
• Foot-control: Vik writes:
  "I thought you might like to know that I have been running the Linux version of Dasher on the Sony Playstation 2. I used the Sony "Dance Mat" controller to control Dasher with my feet. This is a relatively low-cost platform with a variety of controllers available, some of which may suit certain disabilites."
• Trackers and software from Madentec