In this blog post, we will look at the principles of eye tracking technology that allows us to control our smartphones without using our hands and the potential for its development.
On a cold day, there are times when you don’t want to take your hands out of your pockets when you need to use a navigation app on your phone or search for a restaurant online. At such times, not only the cold but even the small inconveniences that modern people feel become more noticeable. On extremely tiring days, I sometimes feel like not wanting to move a finger. On days like these, even simple actions can be a big burden. Then a text notification from a friend on your phone rings. You’re too tired to unlock your phone, let alone reply, so a technology has been developed to help us with our troubles. Using eye tracking technology, you can easily solve the problems that have just been mentioned. This technology is no longer a futuristic story that can only be seen in science fiction movies, but has already begun to take root in our daily lives. With a simple device and a device that can run the software of the technology, we can perform the desired action with just the movement of our eyes without touching any device, whether it be a smartphone, tablet PC, or laptop.
What are the principles of eye tracking technology, how far has it developed, and how much can it affect our lives? Technology that recognizes and tracks gaze has been studied in various ways and in many places. This technology is being actively developed especially in the field of human-computer interaction (HCI), and its scope of application is constantly expanding. For example, in the education sector, this technology can be used to analyze students’ eye movements to identify learning patterns and provide customized educational content tailored to those patterns.
First, there is a method that recognizes the outline of the eyes and the pupil area to track the gaze. This method takes an image of the entire input face and then performs an eye area detection algorithm to track the gaze through the contrast between the skin color, pupil color, and shape, which are unique characteristics of people. However, since it is a method of roughly inferring the direction of gaze based on a computer algorithm rather than predicting the exact direction of gaze, its accuracy is somewhat lacking. This method can be implemented at low cost, so it may be useful for initial research or simple applications, but its limitations are clear when precise work is required.
The second method is to use an infrared camera and an infrared light source. When two infrared light sources are shone on the pupils, the camera recognizes the light reflected from the cornea and estimates the final gaze based on a simple gaze tracking algorithm. The user first looks at two points to set the basic elements of the gaze tracking algorithm, and then the camera automatically tracks the gaze according to the gaze tracking algorithm. It is a flexible system in that it does not need to fix the camera or the user’s head. This technology plays an important role in providing a realistic virtual reality (VR) experience. For example, when the user moves their gaze, the viewpoint moves naturally in the virtual environment, providing a more immersive experience.
Finally, there is the method of using the AdaBoost algorithm. This algorithm is often used in smartphones that use eye tracking technology. It is an algorithm that connects the results of other basic learning algorithms by weighting them, and it is an algorithm that is specialized for tasks that require multiple repetitive results, such as eye tracking. After recognizing the user’s gaze through the camera, the AdaBoost algorithm calculates the exact movement of the gaze, enabling the user to perform tasks in conjunction with a smartphone operating system such as Android. This advancement in algorithms enables eye tracking technology to go beyond simply processing visual data and more accurately capture the user’s intent to provide a more sophisticated interface.
Eye recognition technology has already been commercialized and released as products that can be purchased. A representative product that tracks focus is Eye Tribe. According to Sune Johansen, founder of ‘The Eye Tribe’ company, Eye Tribe is the collective name and product name for a technology that reads the movement of the human eye through software that can be installed on electronic devices and a micro-focus recognition camera that can be attached to devices, and performs various actions on the screen as it is. Eye Tribe is built with C and Java, which are highly compatible programming languages, and can be used on most everyday operating systems such as Windows 7 and Android. The Eye Tribe website shows that various actions can be performed by simply moving the eyes, such as using the technology to run map applications on a smartphone or play simple mobile phone games.
The potential for the development of eye-tracking technology is very bright. This is because the development of eye-tracking technology does not depend solely on the precision of the measuring device. As better algorithms are developed, it becomes possible to perform more precise eye-tracking and complex movements. This development has even greater potential in the industrial field. For example, in the medical field, doctors can operate medical devices with their eyes during surgery, which can contribute to improving the accuracy and efficiency of surgery. In other words, if someone comes up with a more innovative algorithm, the day may come when we will be able to perform complex actions such as typing text or drawing pictures, rather than just switching screens and dragging. However, research on eye strain and the occurrence of eye diseases is insufficient compared to the speed of the development of eye tracking technology. Therefore, it will be necessary to consider the impact of eye tracking technology on users, not just rely on the development of eye tracking technology to improve algorithms and devices.
As the future society pursues more and more convenience, the importance of focus recognition technology is increasing. The advantage of being able to perform the desired action without touching anything will appeal to modern people. For example, many accidents occur while driving due to navigation or vehicle device operation, and there may be a way to use eye tracking technology to improve the driver’s convenience in that area. If functions such as playing simple music or zooming in on a map can be solved with just focus and gaze control, eye tracking technology will be very positive for drivers. However, eye tracking technology should not have the adverse effect of distracting the driver while driving. To prevent this, it is important that eye tracking technology is designed to analyze the driver’s gaze patterns and prevent distraction.
From the above, it can be seen that eye tracking technology has been researched in various directions, such as infrared reflection and focus recognition technology, and that new eye tracking methods are continuing to emerge. As such, technology is advancing day by day with the continued development of algorithms, and the scope of application of eye tracking technology is also expanding. Eye tracking technology can be of great help to the disabled as well as the general public. If you are in a wheelchair or have a cast on your hand, you will inevitably be restricted in your movements that require hands, and eye tracking technology can help solve such problems. If a new interface is developed by combining wireless communication technology, it will be possible to order the desired items by simply moving one’s eyes to operate the elevator button or by focusing on the terminal next to them when purchasing items without having to pick them up. The development of such a simple and everyday interface can be seen as a field that can grow into a new form of service for people with physical disabilities.
