Using the Device

No skill other than reading and using one's hands for many steps is necessary for setting up the TD Pilot device. Follow this User´s Manual and the Getting Start Guide.

Starting the Device

Start the devices the following way:

1. Press the power button on the iPadOS Device. (Position 6 in Ports, Sensors and Device Buttons)
2. Press the power button near the the top of the TD Pilot Base device. (Position 9 in Ports, Sensors and Device Buttons)

When you have started the device, the Power LED will shine in Red, pulse Blue or Green.

For example, solid blue indicates that it is charging but NOT powered on. If the LED is PULSING (any color) the TD Pilot is ON. Otherwise it is OFF.

For more information about the LED Behavior, see The Status LED Behavior.

Shutting Down the Device

The iPadOS device and TD Pilot Base shut down independently. The TD Pilot Base can only be shut down using the power button.

Usually the iPadOS device never needs to be shut down, just like a mobile phone. When the screen is locked the iPadOS device battery lasts for days without charging.

To power off the TD Pilot Base, push and hold the power button (Position 9 in Ports, Sensors and Device Buttons) for 3 seconds. If, for some reason, the accessory crashes or is unresponsive hold the power button for 10 seconds will force a shutoff.

First Start Up

When you start your TD Pilot for the first time, you are required to go through the Apple out of the box experience. At the end of setup the TD Pilot. specific apps will be installed on the Apple iPadOS device. The entire set up process takes between 10-15 minutes.

Setting Up Eye Gaze Access

Configuring the iPadOS for Gaze Access

Setting up AssistiveTouch

AssistiveTouch is designed for people who have difficulty touching the screen. The AssistiveTouch menu allows you to do "touch" functions, such as tap and scroll, using eye gaze. It also provides gaze-accessible shortcuts to things like the Home screen and App Switcher, typically accessed through gestures. AssistiveTouch is used for access via eye gaze in all iOS apps, except TD communication apps, including TD Snap® and TD Talk.

Customizing the AssistiveTouch Menu

Configuring Dwell Control

Waking and Unlocking Your Device

Your TD Pilot wakes automatically when the eye tracker detects your eyes. Unlock the TD Pilot by selecting the AssistiveTouch Button, then Home.

Try it now:

1. Press the power button on the iPadOS device (Position 6 in Ports, Sensors and Device Buttons) to lock the TD Pilot.
2. Look at the screen for a few moments.
3. The TD Pilot will wake and display the lock screen.
4. Tap or use your eyes to select the AssistiveTouch menu button.
5. Select Home.

Using Apps with AssistiveTouch (if Applicable)

When you are ready to venture outside of your communication software, you’ll use AssistiveTouch to access the other apps on your iPad. The AssistiveTouch eye gaze settings and behaviors are different from the ones in your communication software, so you may need to make adjustments in the iPad OS Settings.

The AssistiveTouch Menu is an Eye gaze-accessible navigation tools that enable you to tap, swipe, adjust the volume, switch between apps, and more using your eyes.

Accessing the AssistiveTouch Menu

TD Talk

1. Fixate your gaze below the screen, in the middle of the eye tracker or the area of the eye tracker.
2. The (AssistiveTouch) button will become visible in the lower middle part of the screen.
2. Select the (AssistiveTouch) button to activate AssistiveTouch.
3. The (AssistiveTouch) button will become visible on the screen.
3. Select the (AssistiveTouch) button to open the AssistiveTouch Menu.

TD Snap

1. Select the Dashboard button in the Toolbar.
2. Select the Eye Gaze (iOS) button.
3. Select the Start AssistiveTouch button.
4. The (AssistiveTouch) button will become visible on the screen.
4. Select the (AssistiveTouch) button to open the AssistiveTouch Menu.

Taking a Break When Needed

Pause the eye tracking to read or rest, then resume eye gaze when you wish.

1. Access the AssistiveTouch menu.
2. For more information, see Accessing the AssistiveTouch Menu
2. Select the Pause Dwell to pause the eye tracking.

Using the Device with your Eyes

Tap and Scroll are available in the AssistiveTouch Menu on the top level. Other touch gestures such as Hold and Drag, Long Press, and Double Tap are found under Custom in the AssistiveTouch Menu.

To scroll

1. Access the AssistiveToouch menu.
2. For more information, see Accessing the AssistiveTouch Menu
2. Depending on the communication software:

AssistiveTouch falls back to Tap after you perform a different action like pause or scroll. You can change the action it falls back to or remove it altogether in: iPad OS Settings > Accessibility > Touch > AssistiveTouch > Fallback Action.

Moving the AssistiveTouch Button

You may need to move the AssistiveTouch Button around the screen to get it out of your way.

1. Access the AssistiveToouch menu.
2. For more information, see Accessing the AssistiveTouch Menu
2. Select Move Menu in the AssistiveTouch Menu
3. Hold your gaze on the screen where you would like the AssistiveTouch Menu Button to be.

Choosing Appropriate Apps

Ask yourself these questions when considering apps for use with eye gaze.

• Do you have the skills (e.g., Tap, Scroll, Long Press) needed to use the app?
• If you do not have the required skills, is the app a good way for you to practice and build skills?
• Is the app of high interest? When you are motivated, you are more likely to work harder and persevere when trying to access difficult apps.
• Are there settings in iPad OS or TD CoPilot that can help make the app more accessible with eye gaze? For more information, see Refining Eye Gaze.
• Can you configure settings within the app to accommodate your current abilities? This might include changing from portrait to landscape, modifying response time or time out settings in games, replacing complex tasks (select and drag) with more simple ones (select), or displaying fewer choices on the screen.

Using Eye tracking

The TD Pilot devices operate with precision regardless of glasses, contact lenses, eye color or light conditions. Eye tracking enables you to control the iPad with your eyes using AssistiveTouch applications. AssistiveTouch allows you to interact with applications and can help hone in the eye tracking experience through a variety of settings

Positioning

Prepare the user to start using eye tracking by positioning them comfortably. If they use glasses, make sure that they are wearing them and that the lenses are clean.

Place the TD Pilot on your mounting system or a stable surface in front of the user at, or slightly below, their eye level at a distance of about 65 cm (25.6 inches).

If their head is tilted left or right, tilt the TD Pilot to match. It is important that the angle of the screen surface match the angle of the user’s face.

Most users, when seated at a table or desk, will need to have the TD Pilot positioned higher than the table surface.

You may need to refine the position of the device during the Calibrate steps, see Calibration .

A mounting system is the best option for precise device positioning that is easy to adjust throughout the day. Several mounting options are available, including floor mounts, desk mounts, and wheelchair mounts. Visit www.TobiiDynavox.com or contact your local Tobii Dynavox partner.

Tips for Outdoor Usage

Here are some tips for better performance when using the eye tracker outside, especially in bright sunlight

• It may be beneficial to recalibrate at different points in the day due to environmental changes such as changing light or moving from indoors to outside.
• Use a baseball cap or similar to cast a shade on the eyes. This will significantly enhance the performance of the eye tracker.
• Avoid getting direct sunlight on the eye tracker for best eye tracking performance.

Track Box

The TD Pilot allows for extensive freedom of head movement. Once the TD Pilot is properly calibrated and placed in front of the user, no further adjustments are required.

The TD Pilot produces an industry leading sized track box with the approximate dimensions of 30 cm × 20 cm × 20 cm / 11.8 in × 7.9 in × 7.9 in (Width × Height × Depth). The Track Box is an invisible box positioned approximately 60 cm (23.5 in) straight out from a point just above the middle of the screen.

At 70 cm (27.5 in) the TD Pilot allows for lateral Freedom of Head Movement in an area of about 50 × 36 cm (20 × 14 in) or 35 × 30 cm (13,8 × 11,8 in) depending on which Eye tracker the TD Pilot is equipped with. For more information, see Technical Specifications.

In order to function properly for Eye tracking, the user needs at least one eye in the track box at all times.

Track Status

The Track Status function is used to check if the user is correctly positioned in front of the eye tracker.

• The Eye Indicators, the two (2) white dots — represents the user’s eyes and how they are positioned towards the screen. For optimal position, the eye indicators should be in the middle of the black area.
• The colorful bar on the right with the white arrow — How far or close the user is positioned from the screen.
• If the white arrow is in the middle of the green area of the bar, the user is at the optimal distance from the screen.
• If the arrow is on the lower part of the bar — move the user closer.
• If the arrow is on the upper part of the bar — move the user farther away from the device.

1. Select one of the following ways to access the Track Status:
• Select the Track Status button, position 13 in Ports, Sensors and Device Buttons, on the device.
• Open the TD CoPilot app by selecting the TD CoPilot icon.
2. Position the user.

Using the Adjustable Stand

The TD Pilot comes has a built-in Adjustable Stand, which allows the user to place the TD Pilot device in more positions for the best possible Eye tracking.

To use the Adjustable Stand follow these instructions:

Using the Partner Window

The Partner Window will mirror the Message Window in TD Snap® or TD Talk. For privacy, the user can toggle the Partner Window on/off from within TD Snap® or TD Talk.

There are also other options for the Partner Windows that can be toggled on/off like options for Show text while speaking and adding ellipsis while typing.

Adjusting the Volume

To adjust the volume use the Volume Up button and Volume Down button on the on the iPadOS device.

Starting the Device

Start the TD Pilot the following way:

1. Press the power button on the back of the TD Pilot. (Position 9 in Ports, Sensors and Device Buttons)

When you have started the device, the Power LED will shine in Red, pulse Blue or Green.

For example, solid blue indicates that it is charging but NOT powered on. If the LED is PULSING (any color) the TD Pilot is ON. Otherwise it is OFF.

For more information about the LED Behavior, see The Status LED Behavior.

Reset the Device

To restore the device to factory settings, see the following information:

Minimum IT and System Requirements

General

TD Pilot is a software-based medical device system that includes dedicated hardware and an integrated computing platform. Proper operation of the TD Pilot requires use within the system environment specified by the manufacturer. Use outside these specified conditions may result in reduced performance or loss of functionality.

Hardware Environment

TD Pilot is provided as a complete system consisting of manufacturer-approved hardware components, including an integrated iPad-based computing platform and eye-tracking hardware. No additional external computer hardware is required for the intended purpose of the TD Pilot.

The manufacturer-supplied hardware is configured and validated to support the installed operating system and device software. Only hardware components supplied or approved by the manufacturer shall be used with the TD Pilot.

Operating System and Software Environment

The TD Pilot operates on a supported iPadOS platform. The operating system version and system configuration are controlled and validated by the manufacturer as part of the TD Pilot system.

Only manufacturer-approved software applications, configurations, and compatible third-party applications shall be installed or used. Installation of unsupported software, modification of system settings, or use of unsupported operating system versions may affect device performance and is not recommended.

IT Network Environment

Network connectivity is not required for the device's primary communication functionality.

If network connectivity is used (for example, for software updates, license management, cloud-based services, or remote support), the device should be connected to a stable, standard TCP/IP network. Network availability and performance may influence these optional functions.

IT Security and Access Control

The device relies on the security mechanisms provided by the underlying operating system to support system integrity and data protection.

Access to the device should be restricted to authorized users through available device-level access control mechanisms. Users should follow general good practices for device security, including maintaining system access controls and applying manufacturer-provided software updates when available.