eye-tracking
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The Eye Tribe aims to bring its eye-tracking tech to Android devices with SDK this June
Eye-tracking technology on Android devices isn't exactly anything new, but Danish startup The Eye Tribe is now looking to broaden its use further with its own new set of tools. The company has been showing off its tech since last year, but it's taken advantage of this week's DEMO Mobile conference to officially launch it, and reveal that its SDK will be available to developers this June (they can sign up now if they're interested). As for the tech itself, it promises to allow for everything from eye-activated logins to gaze-based controls to user engagement monitoring, but it won't simply work on every Android smartphone or tablet. It has some basic hardware requirements that the company says will only cost manufacturers an extra dollar in materials. In the meantime, you can get an idea of some of its capabilities at the company's site linked below.
Hands-on with Tobii REX, a peripheral that brings eye-tracking to any Windows 8 PC (video)
One of the neat things about CES is that it gives us a chance to check in with startups we covered the previous year. In the case of, Tobii, 12 months makes a world of difference. When we met with the company last January, it had never publicly shown off its eye-tracking Gaze UI, which allowed us to navigate, zoom, select and scroll on a custom Windows 8 laptop with just our pupils and a touchpad. After playing with it, it was obvious to us the technology still needed some fine-tuning, but nonetheless Tobii promised it would have a product to sell in about a year's time. Fast forward 12 months: Intel now owns a 10 percent stake in the company, and Tobii recently started shipping its first piece of hardware, the REX. This small USB peripheral, just slightly thicker than a pen, attaches to the base of any computer display, allowing it to bring eye-tracking technology to any Windows 8 machine. For now, it's only available to developers for a price of $995, but Tobii expects to ship 5,000 consumer units by the end of 2013. Happily for us, though, we got to play with it here at CES 2013. Meet us after the break to see how the technology's grown up since we tried it out it a year ago, and then when you're done reading through our impressions, check out the walkthrough video at the end. Follow all the latest CES 2013 news at our event hub.
Tobii REX brings Gaze eye-tracking tech to any Windows 8 machine
Tobii may not be a household brand name yet, but that doesn't make the company's eye-tracking technology any less impressive. At last year's CES we got an opportunity to preview Gaze UI, an interface that allowed us to navigate, zoom, select and scroll on a proprietary Windows 8-enabled laptop with just our pupils and a touchpad; this year, Tobii is introducing the REX, a USB-connected peripheral that adds these features to any Windows 8 PC. The device, slightly larger than a pen, adheres to the base of any PC monitor and can be integrated with other existing controls such as the keyboard, mouse or touchpad. Though this may sound quite similar to the PCEye launched in 2011, it's different in that the REX isn't intended for use as an assistive technology, so you'll still need to keep that mouse and trackpad around. Consumer pricing and availability haven't been announced, but Tobii plans to offer 5,000 units to consumers before the end of 2013; for developers, however, a special edition (seen above) should be available starting today for $995.
CEATEC 2012 wrap-up: concept cars, eye-tracking tech and motion sensors galore
CEATEC, Japan's largest annual electronics show, is winding down here on the outskirts of Tokyo. We've spent the past two days scouring the halls of the Makuhari Messe, digging up no shortage of concept cars, eye-tracking technologies and even the odd Windows 8 device. The star of the show may have been Japanese carrier NTT DoCoMo, with its gaze-controlled prototypes and real-time translation app, but there were plenty of other gadgets on hand to peak our interest -- even if many of them won't make it to market anytime soon. Have a look for yourself by browsing our complete CEATEC 2012 coverage past the break.
Fujitsu eye-tracking tech uses built-in motion sensor, infrared LED for hands-free computing (video)
Eye-tracking technology looks to be one of the major tropes at CEATEC this year. One of many companies demoing a gaze-following setup is Fujitsu, which is showing off a prototype desktop PC with a built-in sensor and infrared LED. This configuration should be cheaper than many other eye-controlled solutions out there, as the components are integrated directly into the computer and no external hardware is needed. It's sweet and simple: the camera captures the reflection of light on the user's eye, and image processing technology then calculates the user's viewing angle to allow for hands-free navigation on-screen. We got a brief eyes-on with Fujitsu's demo, which shows off the eye-controlled tech working with a map application. Even without any detectible calibration, the system did a respectable job of navigating around Tokyo based on how we moved our eyes. Panning from right to left works especially seamlessly, but moving up and down required a bit more effort -- we caught ourselves moving our whole head a few times. This is an early demonstration of course, though Fujitsu has already enumerated several applications for this technology, from assisting disabled users to simply eliminating the need to look down at the mouse and keyboard. See the gaze detection in action in our hands-on video past the break.
Tobii, Fujitsu and NTT DoCoMo partner on eye tracking ibeam tablet, promise a peek in October
Tobii's eye tracking Gaze UI hasn't been especially portable so far, but we'll soon see that change through a new collaboration involving Fujitsu and NTT DoCoMo. The trio plan to reveal the ibeam, an Android tablet with Tobii's smaller IS20 (formerly the IS-2) detector taking input just through glances. Together, the partners want to show that an eye-driven interface can be more reactive than plain old multi-touch: think turning a page in an e-book while you're holding on to a subway car strap. We're only getting a brief preview as of today, but we're teased with the prospect of a full look at NTT DoCoMo's CEATEC booth in early October. Whether or not ibeam leads to more than a well-that's-nice prototype, though, is still up in the air.
Google gets patent for eye tracking-based unlock system, shifty looks get you access
Look up. Now down. Back up here again? Imagine having to do that every time you wanted to unlock your phone, as this granted Google patent for "Unlocking a screen using eye tracking information" possibly suggests. Okay, it actually looks more like it's intended for the firm's super spectacles -- which given their general hands-free nature -- makes more sense. The claims are fairly straightforward, unlocking of a device would be granted based on "determining that a path associated with the eye movement substantially matches a path of the moving object". As long as those moving objects aren't moving too fast, we think we can work with that.
Researchers use off-the-shelf parts to let you write emails with your eyes (video)
There's a lot of research to help the spinal cord or stroke-injured become more self-sufficient, but it often takes some exotic paraphernalia. To buck that trend, scientists from Imperial College London showed that subjects could perform relatively hard tasks like writing messages and playing Pong using eye movement -- with a mere $35-worth of parts. They even showed how well the system worked, with subjects scoring within 20 percent of an able-bodied person after a scant 10 minutes of practice. The tracker works with two video console cameras and a pair of eyeglasses that, after calibration, can precisely track the pupils -- allowing them to control a cursor or move a paddle. The researchers also figured out how to "click" the eye-mouse by winking, and can even use more precise adjustments to calculate gaze depth -- meaning subjects will be able to perform more complex tasks in the future, like guide a motorized wheelchair. While by no means the first eye-tracking system we've seen, it's by far the most economical. Check the video after the break to see how it works.
Microsoft applies to patent gaze-tracking camera, wants to stare into your eyes
See that complication of a line-drawing above? Well that's Microsoft describing how it would like to patent a function for a dual 3D and 2D camera setup that's able to process precisely where your eyes fall on a screen. While Kinect could fulfill that hardware component, the application goes into more detail on how the "gaze tracker" would calculate both the direction you're looking in and track the region of the screen that you're focusing on. It aims to do this by closely following your eye -- more specifically the pupil and iris -- with some attention also paid to monitoring the orientation of your head. The Mountain View crew aren't too specific with the remit for the notion, but it could follow similar lines to an Apple patent application we've seen previously -- heck, it could even lead to some eyeball-based UI navigation. Let your mind wander over the possibilities and stare at the full application at the source below.
Northeastern University students develop eye controlled robotic arm that's happy to feed you
As an alternative to receiving brain implants for robotic arm dominance assistance, check out this surprisingly cheap eye-tracking solution developed by six electrical engineering students at Northeastern University. Labeled iCRAFT, for eye Controlled Robotic Arm Feeding Technology, the award-winning senior project drew its inspiration from one team member's difficulty syncing spoonfuls with the eating pace of elderly and disabled patients. Simply gaze at the on-screen box that corresponds to your food or beverage choice and the robotic arm will swing your way with grub in its grip. Ambitious DIY-ers can chase down the open-sourced software behind iCRAFT, and construct a contraption of their own for about $900 -- considerably less than self-feeding rigs living in the neighborhood of $3,500. You can catch a video of the robot arm serving up some fine Wendy's cuisine after the break.
Intel drops $21 million for ten percent stake in eye-tracking firm Tobii
Tobii has managed to impress quite a few folks with its eye-tracking technology -- most recently in the form of the "Eye Asteroids" arcade game -- and it looks like Intel has been paying particularly close attention to the company. As Computer Sweden reports, Intel (or Intel Capital, specifically) has now shelled out roughly $21 million to buy a ten percent stake in the Swedish company, which hopes to soon see its eye-tracking system used in everything from desktops and laptops to phones and even vehicles. Presumably, having Intel at the table will give it a considerable boost in those endeavors.
Engadget goes eyes-on with Tobii EyeAsteroids 3D
While we're busy hounding developers at GDC this week, our sister site Engadget have been over in Germany, rocking the annual CeBIT tech conference. Usually this wouldn't be relevant information to you, dear reader -- we bring this up because Engadget produced a pretty nice video looking at EyeAsteroids.It's, uh, Asteroids you play with your eyes, in case you haven't been paying attention.
Tobii EyeAsteroids 3D lets you destroy virtual space stones with a gaze, we go eyes-on (video)
We've touched and tapped our way through a variety of gadgets at CeBIT, but it's the devices that operate without traditional user interfaces that have really grabbed our focus. Tobii was on-hand to demonstrate its eye-tracking technology earlier this year at CES, but the company is peddling its wares here in Hannover as well, and we decided to drop by for a second look. This time, it's all about gaming, with EyeAsteroids drawing quite a bit of attention on the show floor. The demo pairs Tobii with a SeeFront glasses-free 3D panel for a fairly engaging extraterrestrial shootout. We weren't really sold on the glasses-free 3D, unfortunately, which provides the same unconvincing three-dimensional image from any angle, but Tobii was spot-on, letting us hone in on those infamous space rocks to save our planet from destruction without even raising a finger.Like SeeFront's display, you're able to make visual selections from any angle (within reason) just as easily as you can from directly in front of the panel. There's a seconds-long calibration process each time you start the game, so Tobii can locate your eyes and pair your pupil orientation with a target on the screen. After that, it's open season -- you simply focus on an asteroid to destroy it, and you can add your name to the leader board and navigate menus as well, just as we saw with the Windows 8 demo back at CES. Is this the future of gaming? That remains to be seen, and while the eye-tracking seemed to work just as described, old school gamers will likely prefer tilting a joystick and (violently) tapping on arcade buttons. We still had a lot of fun playing without using our hands, though, as you'll see in our glare-filled demo just past the break.%Gallery-150214%
EyeAsteroids is an arcade cabinet you play with your eyes
EyeAsteroids, an Asteroids clone and frustratingly missed pun opportunity, is an arcade game from Tobii Technology that uses the company's proprietary eye-tracking solutions to recognize where you are looking on the screen, without the use of any other human interfaces. By bouncing invisible infrared lights off of the player's corneas and then monitoring the changes in the reflections generated, the arcade cabinate can extrapolate the eyes' position in 3D space and determine the angle of their gaze."In other words, the eye tracker works much like you would if you face another person and estimate at what they are looking just by observing their eyes," according to Tobii Technology's layman-friendly website. Fifty EyeAsteroid cabinets have been produced at $15,000 a pop, which is roughly the cost of one and a half Street Fighter 4 head-to-head vs. cabinets. If you happen to live in jolly ol' London Towne, an EyeAsteroid cab will be on display at the Trocadero until February 17.
Tobii Gaze UI eyes-on (video)
We know what you're thinking: another CES post about Tobii's eye-tracking Gaze UI? Why yes, yes it is, because this time we were actually the ones behind the driver's seat. We tracked down the company's booth and got some personal one-on-one time with the laptop. As the first matter of business, we first needed to calibrate our eye movements with the sensor, a process that took a couple minutes to push through before we were ready to have at it. The prototype laptop is running an early build of Windows 8, so we navigated around the Metro interface, played a couple games, switched back and forth between tabs, zoomed in and out of screens and plenty more. Eye-tracking technology hasn't been around for incredibly long, and it still has a ways to go. There were a few occasions -- seen in the video below the break -- in which we tried to hit a smaller button several times before finally finding success. Bugs aside, we got the hang of the interface pretty fast after a few minutes of getting accustomed to the concept of using our eyes as the cursor. That doesn't mean we were completely used to it by the time we left the booth, but we could see how eye-tracking can come in handy at times. But it wasn't all Mission: Impossible as we'd secretly hoped. Contrary to our original expectations, we discovered that using the trackpad was still an integral and necessary part of the full experience; it wasn't a "blink twice to click" type of interface. Tobii tells us that by still using the trackpad to click on the screen (minus dragging your finger around as the cursor), you still have a natural user experience, since you're quickly able to use your fingers to scroll or click and override the movement of your eyes if absolutely necessary. We found it easy to switch back and forth between tabs and zoom in and out of pictures -- heck, we even were able to play games on the laptop by using our eyes, though admittedly we performed rather lousy and lost every time since many games require a certain amount of precision. That's obviously a situation that would call for the ability to override the eye-tracker and switch to manual mode, of course. All in all, we were very impressed to see how far the technology has come so far, and as Tobii is still in the early stages of implementing eye-tracking into the latest laptops -- CES is the company's first time showing it off in public, after all -- we're incredibly excited to see how it looks once it's all polished up. We've got plenty of pictures and a video to show off, so continue below to take a look. See what we did there?
Tobii Gazes into the future, sees you navigating Windows 8 with your eyes (video)
You may be waiting with bated breath for Microsoft to hurry up and release Windows 8 PCs and tablets to the masses, but before they get here, there might a twist to the way you tweak'em. Tobii Technology intends to demo its new mouse-free interface at CES this month -- dubbed Tobii Gaze -- that it hopes'll revolutionize the way we interact with devices. The gesture-based system incorporates eye-tracking to direct an on-screen pointer and works in conjunction with touch pad input for "fine-tuning." The company's hoping this new interface'll help you toss out that antiquated clicker and embrace the world of Minority Report. Hey, it's inevitable and you know it.
LG updates eye-tracking, glasses-free 3D displays, learns to love the hyphen
We hope you're not too attached to that 20-inch DX2000 you got from LG back in July. (You did rush out and buy one, right?) 'Cause the Korean manufacturer has just updated its line of eye-tracking, glasses-free 3D displays with the 25-inch DX2500! Just like its smaller sibling, the DX2500 has a parallax barrier over the screen and an embedded camera for tracking head and eye movement. As a person shifts around the monitor it dynamically adjusts the image to (at least theoretically) maintain the best possible 3D effect. The screen also does on-the-fly 2D to 3D conversion. The DX2500 is shipping now in Korea for 1.3 million won (about $1,556) and should be available globally some time early in 2012. Check out the full PR after the break.
Tobii looks to keep you alert by detecting when you're tweet-driving (video)
Don't think you'll get caught checking the Duke score while cruisin' down the highway? Soon, you may have to think twice before hitting the scoreboard. Tobii has unveiled its new technology that detects drowsiness and distraction in on-board driver safety systems. The platform is based on the company's advanced eye tracking tech to bolster automobile safety on the highways and byways. The system detects eyes of all shapes, sizes, and colors -- without calibration -- even if the driver is wearing glasses or a pair of Ray Ban shades. A constant stream of data communicates to the watchman the driver's condition, regardless of changes in environment or if the person behind the wheel takes a quick peek out the window. Tobii isn't looking to stop here either, as it says eye control of in-cabin infotainment systems is within reach. Perhaps this time next year, we'll be able to browse that Spotify collection with a series of blinks -- one can only hope.
Utechzone Spring eye-tracking system hands-on (video)
In the midst of fiddling with tablets and laptops at Computex, we haven't been thinking much of eye-tracking technologies until we saw Utechzone's booth. What we have here is the Spring, a TW$240,000 (US$8,380) eye-tracking rig that was launched in March 2010 and is aimed at users with limited mobility. The package consists of an LCD monitor, a computer, and an external sensor that utilizes infrared to track our pupils. Also included is an eye-friendly software suite that lets users play games, browse the web and media files, send emails, communicate with caretakers, and read PDF or TXT files. We had a go on the Spring and quickly learned how to control it with our eyes: much like the Xbox Kinect, in order to make a click we had to hover the cursor over (or fix our eyes on) a desired button until the former completes a spin. The tracking was surprisingly accurate, except we had to take off our glasses for it to work; that said, the other glasses didn't exhibit the same issue, so the culprit could be just some coating on our lenses. Another problem we found was that it only took a quick jiggle with our eyes to cancel the spinning countdown, so full concentration is required to use the Spring. This shouldn't be a problem outside a noisy event like Computex, anyway, and if you need more convincing, we were told that a disabled Taiwanese professor managed to hit 100,000 Chinese characters within three months using phonetic input on the the same rig -- he's planning on releasing a new book soon. Have a look at our eyes-on video after the break for a better idea on how the Spring works. %Gallery-125350%
Hacked Kinect duo teams up with HD projector to make 360 Snowglobe display (video)
Flatscreen displays? Decidedly old hat; students from Queens University have a better idea: snowglobes. Hacking together a 3D HD projector, two Kinect sensors, and a hemispherical mirror mounted inside of an acrylic sphere, "Project Snowglobe" has created a pseudo holographic display -- presenting a 360-degree view of a digital object. The all-angles display is compelling, but it's strictly a single-user affair; the object isn't actually projected in 3D -- it instead follows the movements of a lone Earthling, rotating and shifting position, in sync with the viewer. The display standard of the future? Maybe not, but pretty darn cool, all the same. Hit up the video after the break to check it out.
