You Can Now Control Your Android with Your Face! Project Gameface Arrives

Google has just announced that the code for Project Gameface is now available open-source to all Android developers. Project Gameface is Google’s take on a hands-free gaming mouse that works by reading your face.

Developers are now able to integrate this new accessibility feature into their apps, which will give users the ability to control the cursor with simple facial gestures or by moving their heads. For example, they can open their mouth to move the cursor or raise their eyebrows to click and drag.

Announced during last year’s Google I/O for desktop, Project Gameface used the device’s camera and a database of facial expressions from MediaPipe’s Face Landmarks Detection API to manipulate the cursor.

While Gameface was initially made for gamers, Google says that they have partnered with Incluzza— a social enterprise in India focused on accessibility — to see how they can expand it to other settings like work, school, and social situations.

The project was initially inspired by a quadriplegic video game streamer Lanbce Carr, who has muscular dystrophy. Carr collaborated with Google on the project, intending to create a more affordable and accessible alternative to expensive head-tracking systems.