Eye Remote Control

This project is developed based on the Quectel Pi H1 single-board computer, leveraging its powerful computing and multimedia processing capabilities to achieve low-latency, high-accuracy eye tracking functionality.

The Eye Remote Control is an intelligent control system that manages video playback through user eye state detection: continues playback when eyes are open and focused on the screen, and automatically pauses when eyes are closed or looking away.

Core Features:

• Automatically plays or maintains video playback when user's eyes are open and focused on the screen
• Immediately pauses current video playback when user closes eyes, looks away, or leaves the screen

Development Resource Summary

Component List

The listed development accessories are provided for reference only. Different development environments may vary. For example, if you are developing via SSH remote connection, the USB expansion dock may not be necessary, and the display monitor can also be replaced as needed.

Component Physical Reference

Quick Start

Development Preparation

The Quectel Pi H1 single-board computer comes pre-installed with Debian 13 system image, so no additional image burning is required. Follow the steps below to get started.

Hardware Connection

Heat Sink Fan Installation

First, insert the cooling fan's ribbon cable into the FAN slot of the single-board computer. Then, fix the two ends of the heatsink into the pre-drilled holes on the single-board computer, as follows:

Display Connection

Connect one end of the HDMI cable to the HDMI port on the single-board computer and the other end to the HDMI port on the monitor.

Input Device Connection

Connect USB keyboard and mouse to the USB ports on the hub, then connect the hub to the USB port on the single-board computer. For wireless devices, insert the receiver into the hub's USB port.

Network Connection

Connect one end of the Ethernet cable to the Gigabit Ethernet port on the single-board computer and the other end to the router's port (ensure the router is connected to the internet).

Jumper Connection

Make sure the header pins marked AUTO_POWER_ON in the upper left corner of the single-board computer are shorted with jumper caps.

Power Connection

Connect the USB-A end of the power cable to the power adapter and the USB-C end to the power port on the single-board computer (usually labeled POWER IN).

Speaker Connection

Connect the 2PIN PH1.25 interface speaker to the SPK slot on the single-board computer.

Camera Connection

Connect the OV5693 camera module to the USB port on the single-board computer.

Completed Connection Reference

Project Implementation

Update Sources

sudo apt update

Install ffmpeg

sudo apt install -y ffmpeg

Configure Python Environment

The system default Python version is 3.13, while the MediaPipe model we use requires Python 3.9-3.12. We need to reconfigure the Python path. Python 3.10 is already installed in the system, so we just need to modify the default Python path.

# Backup the current Python path link
sudo cp /usr/bin/python3 /usr/bin/python3.backup
# Delete the current Python path link
sudo rm /usr/bin/python3
# Create a new path link pointing to Python 3.10
sudo ln -s /usr/bin/python3.10 /usr/bin/python3
# Verify the changes
ls -l /usr/bin/python3
python3 --version

Activate Python Virtual Environment

Execute the following command to create and activate a Python virtual environment.

python3.10 -m venv folder_name
Example: python3.10 -m venv ~/mediapipe_env
source ~/mediapipe_env/bin/activate

Download Demo Code

1. Create a folder named eye-remote-control in the terminal of the single-board computer to store the project code.

2. Click to download the code.

3. Use the scp command to upload files to the eye-remote-control folder. Refer to the Remote Access SCP File Copying Chapter.

4. Open a terminal in that folder and run the following command to modify file permissions.

sudo chmod -R 755 folder_path
Example: sudo chmod -R 755 /home/pi/eye-remote-control

Update pip Source

Enter the command to update the pip source in the virtual environment of the system terminal.

pip install --upgrade pip

Install Required Libraries

Navigate to the eye-remote-control directory and execute the following commands to install the necessary libraries for the project.

pip install -r requirements.txt

Run Program

Execute start.sh script in the eye-remote-control folder.

Application Demonstration