Brighten Your Day

He Spent Years Building Something That Will Change People's Lives, And Never Cost The Family A Dime

September 11, 2015

Eye tracking computer software for people living with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) or Motor Neuron Disease (MND) can cost tens of thousands of dollars. One man devoted the last four years of his life writing code for his own software... so it can be free.

Photo via EyeGaze

Julius Sweetland is the developer of OptiKey - an assistive on-screen keyboard that gives people with motor and speech limitations full computer control and speech using only their eyes.

"OptiKey was written to challenge the outrageously expensive, unreliable and difficult to use AAC (alternative and augmentative communication) products on the market," Sweetland said. "It is, therefore, fully open-source and free. Forever."

In an industry which massively inflates the price of software, this can change someone's life dramatically.

After his reddit post went viral, many people tried to donate money to Sweetland for his wonderful donation to the world - but he refused. Instead, for those who insisted on giving, he set up a crowdfunding page that gives to cancer research.

Can you believe this guy?

To learn more about the free software or to download it for free, visit his page on GitHub. Below is a video explaining how the software works: