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Google rolls out 'Face control' for Chromebook for a hands-free experience

Google Chromebook Face Control

Google announced at the BETT educational technology exhibition in London that it's rolling out a new accessibility feature for Chromebooks called Face Control. As the name suggests, the feature allows users to control their Chromebook's cursor by moving their heads and performing various actions using facial gestures.

The search giant discussed Face control in December last year and shared several details. Face control relies on machine learning models to generate a 3D mesh of 478 specific facial points to enable precise, real-time gesture detection for hands-free control.

Face control takes inspiration from Project GameFace and Lance Carr, a gamer with muscular dystrophy who demonstrated the potential of face control technology for gaming. It's designed to help users with motor impairment and give them an alternative to traditional input methods like mice and keyboard.

The feature can be helpful for all people in general, such as typing emails or advancing the slides of a presentation with facial gestures. Face control was initially limited to a few facial gestures but later expanded to recognize up to 18 gestures after user testing and feedback. Google recommends that the feature needs at least 8GB RAM for the best experience.

More platforms are offering hands-free experiences these days. Apple baked the Eye Tracking feature into iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 last year, allowing users to control their devices just by using their eyes.

As per the number shared by the company, more than 50 million students and teachers use Chromebooks globally. Google shared a truckload of updates for education users and announced it will roll out over 20 new Chromebook and Chromebook Plus devices in 2025.

There will be models like ASUS Chromebook CR12 (CR1204C) and HP Fortis G1i 14 Chromebook for older grades and devices like Acer Chromebook Spin 511 and Lenovo Chromebook Duet EDU G2 built for younger grades. Meanwhile, teachers can get their hands on devices such as Lenovo Chromebook Plus 2-in-1 (14”, 10) or Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus.

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