Apple Vision Pro Now Controls Wheelchairs With Eye Tracking

For people living with severe mobility challenges, the ability to control their own wheelchair can mean the difference between dependence and dignity.

Apple just announced that its Vision Pro headset will now let users operate compatible motorized wheelchairs using only eye movements. The feature uses the headset's precision eye-tracking system to control TOLT and LUCI alternative drive systems through Bluetooth or wired connections.

The technology works in various lighting conditions and doesn't require constant recalibration. Users simply look where they want to go, and the wheelchair responds to their gaze with accuracy and reliability.

"The option to control my power wheelchair on my own is gold to me," said Pat Dolan, who founded GeoALS after living with ALS for 10 years. "With this new feature, Apple is developing life-enhancing technology for the people who need it most."

The wheelchair control feature arrives alongside several other accessibility updates powered by Apple Intelligence. VoiceOver now provides detailed descriptions of images that often lack alt-text, including personal photos and scanned documents. Users can press the Action button on iPhone to ask questions about what the camera sees and get instant answers.

Apple's Voice Control function now understands natural language instead of requiring users to memorize exact commands. People can say things like "tap the purple folder" or "tap the guide about best restaurants" to navigate any app, even when accessibility labels are missing or incorrect.

The Magnifier app brings visual descriptions to its high-contrast interface for users with low vision. Spoken requests like "zoom in" or "turn on the flashlight" now control the app hands-free.

Generated subtitles will automatically appear for personal videos and content shared by friends and family on iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV and Vision Pro. The captions are created on-device to protect privacy.

Apple CEO Tim Cook emphasized that Apple Intelligence brings powerful new capabilities while maintaining privacy by design. All these features arrive later this year, just after Global Accessibility Awareness Day on May 21.

The Ripple Effect

These accessibility features represent more than convenience upgrades. For millions of people with disabilities, technology that responds to eye movements, natural speech, and visual needs removes barriers that once seemed insurmountable.

When tech companies prioritize accessibility from the ground up, the innovations often benefit everyone. Voice control helped people with mobility challenges first, but now millions use it while driving or cooking. Wheelchair control through eye-tracking could pioneer interface designs that make computing more intuitive for all users.

Technology becomes truly transformative when it restores independence to those who need it most.