Eye_Icons.jpg
 
 

EYE TRACKING & VIRTUAL REALITY

When VR headsets follow our gaze, it helps virtual reality in two ways. First, programmers can save computing power by only showing things at the highest resolution right where we’re looking. Second, virtual characters can “know” if we’re looking at them and respond in more realistic ways.

 
 
 
Try_This_Icon_Right_Red.jpg
 

TRY THIS!

LEARN HOW EYE TRACKERS WORK

Teal_Bar.jpg
 

Follow the pencil

 
 
Activity_Icons_Materials_Red.jpg
 
 

Materials

  • Friend

  • Pencil 

  • Bright light

Try it

  1. Sit opposite a friend a couple of feet apart, with a bright light nearby or outside.

  2. Hold up the pencil in front of your friend and slowly move it upwards and downwards and from side to side.

  3. Keeping their head still, ask your friend to follow the movement of the pencil with their eyes.

  4. As their gaze follows the pencil, look closely at their eyes. Do you see how the bright light reflection stays in the same place as the pupil moves around? 

  5. Now, try swapping roles!

Experiment to follow a pencil and learn how eye trackers work
 
 

Guess the Letter

 
Activity_Icons_Materials_Red.jpg
 
 

Materials 

  • Friend  

  • Pencil 

  • 3 pieces of paper 

 

Try it

  1. Sit at a table opposite a friend. 

  2. Using giant letters, write out each of these letters - M, N and V - on separate pages. Make sure the letters take up the whole page.

  3. Choose a page and with the letter facing you, trace the outline of the letter with your eyes, without moving your head.

  4. Ask your friend to guess which letter you are tracing! Did they get it correct? 

Experiment to guess the letter and learn how eye trackers work
 
 
Question_Mark_Red.jpg
 

WHAT'S GOING ON?

 

As you noticed when you did the activities above, when we are looking at things, our pupils move around, but light reflections in our eye stay in exactly the same place. Eye trackers work on the same principle. Near infrared light is directed towards the pupil, and reflections in the cornea are tracked by a camera. The gaze direction is then calculated so the tracker knows exactly where you are looking.

 
Illustration courtesy of Tobii AB

Illustration courtesy of Tobii AB

 
 
 
Try_This_Icon_Right_Left.jpg
 

WANT TO LEARN MORE?

 

Read this article to learn more about how Tobii eye tracking technology works.  

Where do pianists look when they’re playing? Watch this video to learn how eye tracking enables us to compare where an amateur and professional musician are looking while they’re playing the piano. 

If you have an iPhone 11 you can try out the Hawkeye app which uses the camera on the phone to track the movement of your eyes.

Photograph of iPhone