Low-cost gaze interaction (original) (raw)

Low-cost gaze interaction: ready to deliver the promises

2009

Eye movements are the only means of communication for some severely disabled people. However, the high prices of commercial eye tracking systems limit the access to this technology. In this pilot study we compare the performance of a low-cost, webcam-based gaze tracker that we have developed with two commercial trackers in two different tasks: target acquisition and eye typing. From analyses on throughput, words per minute and error rates we conclude that a low-cost solution can be as efficient as expensive commercial systems.

Evaluation of a low-cost open-source gaze tracker

2010

This paper presents a low-cost gaze tracking system that is based on a webcam mounted close to the user's eye. The performance of the gaze tracker was evaluated in an eye-typing task using two different typing applications. Participants could type between 3.56 and 6.78 words per minute, depending on the typing system used. A pilot study to assess the usability of the system was also carried out in the home of a user with severe motor impairments. The user successfully typed on a wall-projected interface using his eye movements.

CamType: assistive text entry using gaze with an off-the-shelf webcam

Machine Vision and Applications, 2019

As modern assistive technology advances, eye-based text entry systems have been developed to help a subset of physically challenged people to improve their communication ability. However, speed of text entry in early eye-typing system tends to be relatively slow due to dwell time. Recently, dwell-free methods have been proposed which outperform the dwell-based systems in terms of speed and resilience, but the extra eye-tracking device is still an indispensable equipment. In this article, we propose a prototype of eye-typing system using an off-the-shelf webcam without the extra eye tracker, in which the appearance-based method is proposed to estimate people's gaze coordinates on the screen based on the frontal face images captured by the webcam. We also investigate some critical issues of the appearance-based method, which helps to improve the estimation accuracy and reduce computing complexity in practice. The performance evaluation shows that eye typing with webcam using the proposed method is comparable to the eye tracker under a small degree of head movement.

On the Design of a Low Cost Gaze Tracker for Interaction

Procedia Technology, 2012

The human gaze is a basic mean for non verbal interaction. However, in several situations, especially in the context of upper limb motor impairment, the gaze represents also an alternative mean for human interaction with the environment (real or virtual). This interaction can be mastered through specific tools and new learned skills. Therefore the technological tool is a key for new interaction models. This paper presents a tool for gaze interaction: a new gaze tracker. The system specifications and the status of the gaze tracker design are presented; the dedicated algorithm for eye detection and tracking as well as an improvement of Zelinsky's model for eye movement prediction during the search of a predefined object in an image are outlined. Results of the first pre-prototype first evaluation with end users are summarized.

Some Eye Tracking Solutions for Severe Motor Disabilities

People affected by serious motor disabilities need proper ways to interact with the computer, which is for them an essential communication means. Thanks to recent technological advances in the field of eye tracking, it is now possible to exploit unobtrusive devices to detect the user's gaze on a screen and employ it to control graphical interfaces. In this paper we present some of the eye tracking projects we have recently developed at the University of Pavia, all aimed at providing the (disabled) user with reliable gaze-driven input modalities.

A Simple Gaze Tracker for Computer Operation by the Disabled in Education

Informática na educação: teoria & prática

A compact gaze tracker was developed which consists of a head band and electrodes which process the Electro-Oculo-Gram (EOG) reflecting the patient´s eye movements. We have confirmed that the processed EOG signal correlates well with gaze angle, and we show that the instrument we designed enables a child to move a target on a screen up to 40 degrees left-right from central sight. To achieve this, a signal processing circuit was designed and placed on a head band to minimize noise. Further processing is based on the identification of saccadic eye movements and on the educated calculation of the estimated gaze angle as a result of angle change in both directions. A 75% success rate was achieved to detect transitions of eye positions in 5° steps from +40° to -40°. First tests by normal children suggest that the device may prove useful for communication by the disabled (e.g. patients with no control on hand movements). In such cases, extensive personal training will tap on neurological ...

Evaluation of a Low-cost Eye Tracking System for Computer Input

2015

Eye tracking technology has become one of the most popular techniques within the human and computer interaction (HCI) era, this is especially important research for people which have difficulty with speech and movement disabilities. The primary function of this technology is based on a device that tracks the movement of the eye to identify a position or scan a display. Suitable devices for eye movement can then be integrated in concordance with the requirements of the organization. Currently, eye tracking devices are becoming increasingly cheaper which make them an interesting resource for research. Although numerous studies have been conducted involving applications of eye tracking with a low-cost device, few studies have compared the actual eye tracking systems themselves. This paper empirically evaluated the performance of three independent low-cost eye tracking devices, Gazepoint’s GP3, EyeTribe, and DIY (Do-It-Yourselt). The performance evaluation used a multi-directional point...

A Gaze-Based Interaction System for People with Cerebral Palsy

Procedia Technology, 2012

In this paper we present the development of an augmentative system for people with movement disabilities (mostly cerebral palsy people) to communicate with the people that surround them, through a human-computer interaction mechanism. We developed an assistive technology application based on gaze tracking in order to select symbols in communication boards, which represent words or ideas, so that they could easily create phrases for the patient's daily needs. This kind of communication boards is already used by cerebral palsy people, here we intend to extend their use for people with absolute no motor coordination. An important improvement of the proposed system with respect to the existing solutions is the ability to work in the presence of voluntary or involuntary head movements.

Eye Tracking and Head Movements Detection to Assist People with Disabilities: Unveiled

2012

Many researches have been devoted in the past two decades to develop technologies that assist people suffering motor disabilities associated with problems in verbal communication. Eye tracking and head movement detection and their use in empowering people with disability have remained interesting subjects especially in the current digital era. Generally, eye tracking involves manipulation through measuring the eye motion or monitoring the activities of the eye. Various researches have used different methods of eye tracking providing evidence that the science is of value to the society in general, and to the disabled individuals, in particular. Their methods have worked with individuals as well as groups. Head movement detection tracking has been found to be a natural way of expressing direction, and as a control technique it has been shown to be simple and effective. This paper surveys the literature on eye-tracking and head movement detection techniques for helping the disabled group.

Toward the design of a low cost vision-based gaze tracker for interaction skill acquisition

2011

The human gaze is a basic mean for non verbal interaction between humans; however, in several situations, especially in the context of upper limb motor impairments, the gaze constitutes also an alternative mean for interactions with the environment (real or virtual). Mastering these interactions through specific tools, requires frequently the acquisition of new skills and understanding of mechanisms which allow to acquire the necessary skills. Therefore the technological tool is a key for new interaction skill acquisition. This paper presents a tool for interaction skill acquisition via a gaze. The proposed gaze tracker is a low cost head mounted system based on vision technology. The system hardware specifications and the status of the gaze tracker design are presented; the dedicated algorithm for eye detection and tracking, and an improvement of G. Zelinsky model for eye movement predication during the search of a predefined object in an image are outlined. Results of the software preliminary evaluation are presented.