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24 November 2020 | Story Andre Damons
Prof Gert van Zyl, Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences, presented a copy of the book to Prof Francis Petersen, UFS Rector and Vice-Chancellor.

Looking at the history and highlights of the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of the Free State (UFS) you will find a golden thread of innovation running throughout. The faculty has not been afraid of the unknown and its focus has always been on patients and quality academic education.

This is according to Prof Gert van Zyl, Dean of the faculty, who gave an overview at the virtual launch of the book: The History of the Faculty of Health Sciences: 2004 – 2020 on Tuesday (17 October 2020). Prof Johan Diedericks, Emeritus Professor in the Dean’s office, is the author of the book.

This book launch was part of the faculty’s 50-year anniversary celebrations.

A two-year journey

Prof Diedericks said the journey to materialising the book started two years ago when Prof Van Zyl “coaxed” him into compiling it. “At that stage I was writing the history of the Department of Anesthesiology and still had a 6/8 clinical appointment which meant I only had one day a week free to work on the book.

“But it was time well-spent. It started off with reading a lot of minutes and annual reports but at the same, time I requested and begged (but did not threaten) the departments for information. That was quite difficult. Several people assisted me in getting the information but the material came in slowly” said Prof Diedericks.

There was also cooperation from all the heads of schools who eventually made sure he got the information he needed. He wrote some of the sections himself and also edited and re-wrote parts of the information he received to ensure everything is the same format.

The book consists of eight chapters and five appendices with graphs and statistics. Chapter one is an overview of the changes since 2004 the present day and chapter two is about the office of the dean followed by the five schools in the faculty and all the departments within the schools.  The last chapter has information on other sections such as the Frik Scott Medical Library, National Health Laboratory Service, the SA Doping Control Laboratory (SADoCoL) and student organisations.

Faculty highlights

Prof Van Zyl said he was sure the experiences learnt from the past 50 years had prepared the faculty to survive 2020 – the year of COVID-19. In his overview, he spoke about the human contribution.

“The human contribution is the mortar between the bricks of this faculty, our staff and students not just today, but over 50 years. Looking at the history of the faculty and reflecting back, it was built by the collective and individual efforts of women and men in the faculty to ensure that each and every step is taken with integrity and quality to take us forward.”

He said he hopes this history will not only offer adequate information to appreciate the huge contribution that members of the Faculty of Health Sciences, the university community, and the entire Free State had made in health over the past 50 years.

Re-inventing yourself 

Prof Francis Petersen, UFS Rector and Vice-Chancellor, who received a copy of the book from Prof van Zyl, had a message to every one attending the virtual event: “If you don’t understand your history, where you come from, it is very difficult to know where you are going.

“In a learning environment such as the university, we always have to renew ourselves and you can renew yourself through what is happening in your current environment, through what happened in your history and also through what is happening in innovation going forward. I think that is the message captured in this book.

“There are various re-inventions that happened over this period and we should continue with that going forward as members of the faculty, as students, and as alumni of the faculty. The faculty can even go far beyond where it is at the moment. But we must remember we are standing on the shoulders of individuals who made major contributions, not only to the faculty, but to the province, to the country and internationally. We have a duty and responsibility to build on that and I know the faculty is doing that,” concluded Prof Petersen.

News Archive

Eye tracker device a first in Africa
2013-07-31

 

 31 July 2013

Keeping an eye on empowerment

"If we can see what you see, we can think what you think."

Eye-tracking used to be one of those fabulous science-fiction inventions, along with Superman-like bionic ability. Could you really use the movement of your eyes to read people's minds? Or drive your car? Or transfix your enemy with a laser-beam?

Well, actually, yes, you can (apart, perhaps, from the laser beam… ). An eye tracker is not something from science fiction; it actually exists, and is widely used around the world for a number of purposes.

Simply put, an eye tracker is a device for measuring eye positions and eye movement. Its most obvious use is in marketing, to find out what people are looking at (when they see an advertisement, for instance, or when they are wandering along a supermarket aisle). The eye tracker measures where people look first, what attracts their attention, and what they look at the longest. It is used extensively in developed countries to predict consumer behaviour, based on what – literally – catches the eye.

On a more serious level, psychologists, therapists and educators can also use this device for a number of applications, such as analysis and education. And – most excitingly – eye tracking can be used by disabled people to use a computer and thereby operate a number of devices and machines. Impaired or disabled people can use eye tracking to get a whole new lease on life.

In South Africa and other developing countries, however, eye tracking is not widely used. Even though off-the-shelf webcams and open-source software can be obtained extremely cheaply, they are complex to use and the quality cannot be guaranteed. Specialist high-quality eye-tracking devices have to be imported, and they are extremely expensive – or rather – they used to be. Not anymore.

The Department of Computer Science and Informatics (CSI) at the University of the Free State has succeeded in developing a high-quality eye tracker at a fraction of the cost of the imported devices. Along with the hardware, the department has also developed specialised software for a number of applications. These would be useful for graphic designers, marketers, analysts, cognitive psychologists, language specialists, ophthalmologists, radiographers, occupational and speech therapists, and people with disabilities. In the not-too-distant future, even fleet owners and drivers would be able to use this technology.

"The research team at CSI has many years of eye-tracking experience," says team leader Prof Pieter Blignaut, "both with the technical aspect as well as the practical aspect. We also provide a multi-dimensional service to clients that includes the equipment, training and support. We even provide feedback to users.

"We have a basic desktop model available that can be used for research, and can be adapted so that people can interact with a computer. It will be possible in future to design a device that would be able to operate a wheelchair. We are working on a model incorporated into a pair of glasses which will provide gaze analysis for people in their natural surroundings, for instance when driving a vehicle.

"Up till now, the imported models have been too expensive," he continues. "But with our system, the technology is now within reach for anyone who needs it. This could lead to economic expansion and job creation."

The University of the Free State is the first manufacturer of eye-tracking devices in Africa, and Blignaut hopes that the project will contribute to nation-building and empowerment.

"The biggest advantage is that we now have a local manufacturer providing a quality product with local training and support."

In an eye-tracking device, a tiny infra-red light shines on the eye and causes a reflection which is picked up by a high-resolution camera. Every eye movement causes a change in the reflection, which is then mapped. Infra-red light is not harmful to the eye and is not even noticed. Eye movement is then completely natural.

Based on eye movements, a researcher can study cognitive patterns, driver behaviour, attention spans, even thinking patterns. A disabled person could use their eye-movements to interact with a computer, with future technology (still in development) that would enable that computer to control a wheelchair or operate machinery.

The UFS recently initiated the foundation of an eye-tracking interest group for South Africa (ETSA) and sponsor a biennial-eye tracking conference. Their website can be found at www.eyetrackingsa.co.za.

“Eye tracking is an amazing tool for empowerment and development in Africa, “ says Blignaut, “but it is not used as much as it should be, because it is seen as too expensive. We are trying to bring this technology within the reach of anyone and everyone who needs it.”

Issued by: Lacea Loader
Director: Strategic Communication

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