Eye Tracking Device
Encyclopedia
The Eye Tracking Device (ETD) is a headmounted device, designed for measurement of
three-dimensional eye and head movements under experimental and natural conditions.
The tracker permits comprehensive measurement of eye movement (three degrees of freedom)
and optionally head movement (six degrees of freedom). It represents an important tool for the investigation of sensorimotor behaviour, particularly of the vestibular
and oculomotor systems in both health and disease.
and was uploaded to the station as part of the joint European / Russian space programme in early 2004. The device was designed by Prof. Dr. Andrew H. Clarke (Vestibular Lab, Charité Berlin) together with the companies Chronos Vision and Mtronix in Berlin and integrated for space utilisation by the Munich-based company Kayser-Threde.
In the first set of experiments, conducted by Prof. Clarke’s team in cooperation with the Moscow Institute for Biomedical Problems, the Eye Tracking Device was used for the measurement of the Listing plane - a coordinate framework, which is used to define the movement of the eyes in the head. The scientific goal was to determine how Listing’s Plane is altered under various gravity conditions. In particular the influence of long-duration microgravity onboard the ISS and of he subsequent return to Earth’s gravity was examined. The findings contribute to our understanding of neural plasticity in the vestibular and oculomotor systems.
These experiments were commenced in the spring 2004 and continued until late 2008 with a series of cosmonauts and astronauts, who each spent six months onboard the ISS.
image sensors - are interfaced to a dedicated processor board in the host PC via bi-directional, high speed digital transmission links (400 Mb/s). This PCI plug-in board carries the front-end processing architecture, consisting of digital signal processor
s (DSP) and programmable logic devices (FPGA) for binocular, online image and signal acquisition.
For the eye tracking task, a substantial data reduction is performed by the sensor and the front-end processing. Thus, only preselected data are transferred from the image sensor through to the host PC where the final algorithms and data storage are implemented. This eliminates the bottleneck caused by standard frame-by-frame image acquisition, and thus facilitates considerably higher image sampling rates.
This processing architecture is integrated into a ruggedised, IBM
compatible PC, which permits visualisation of the eyes and the corresponding signals. An important design feature is the digital storage of all image sequences from the cameras as digital files on exchangeable hard disk. After completion of each ISS mission, the hard disk containing the recordings is returned to Earth. This ensures comprehensive and reliable image processing analysis in the investigators’ lab and minimises the time required for the experiment on the ISS.
three-dimensional eye and head movements under experimental and natural conditions.
The tracker permits comprehensive measurement of eye movement (three degrees of freedom)
and optionally head movement (six degrees of freedom). It represents an important tool for the investigation of sensorimotor behaviour, particularly of the vestibular
Vestibular
The Vestibular is a competitive examination and is the primary and widespread system used by Brazilian universities to select their students. The Vestibular usually takes place from November to January, right before the start of school year in February or March, although certain universities hold...
and oculomotor systems in both health and disease.
Eye Tracking Device on ISS
It was originally developed by the German Space Agency (DLR) for use on the International Space Station (ISS)ISS
The ISS is the International Space Station.ISS may also refer to:* I See Stars, an American electronic rock band* ISS A/S, a Danish service company* Idea Star Singer, a Malayalam music reality show by Asianet TV...
and was uploaded to the station as part of the joint European / Russian space programme in early 2004. The device was designed by Prof. Dr. Andrew H. Clarke (Vestibular Lab, Charité Berlin) together with the companies Chronos Vision and Mtronix in Berlin and integrated for space utilisation by the Munich-based company Kayser-Threde.
In the first set of experiments, conducted by Prof. Clarke’s team in cooperation with the Moscow Institute for Biomedical Problems, the Eye Tracking Device was used for the measurement of the Listing plane - a coordinate framework, which is used to define the movement of the eyes in the head. The scientific goal was to determine how Listing’s Plane is altered under various gravity conditions. In particular the influence of long-duration microgravity onboard the ISS and of he subsequent return to Earth’s gravity was examined. The findings contribute to our understanding of neural plasticity in the vestibular and oculomotor systems.
These experiments were commenced in the spring 2004 and continued until late 2008 with a series of cosmonauts and astronauts, who each spent six months onboard the ISS.
Operations
Examination of the orientation of Listing's plane during the course of a prolonged space mission is of particular interest, as on Earth the Listing’s plane appears to be dependent on input from the vestibular system i.e. detected through the head position with relation to gravity. By exposing the astronaut to the weightlessness of space, this experiment can follow the subsequent adaptation of the astronaut’s vestibular system during the flight and after returning to Earth. The key question in this experiment is to what extent the orientation of the Listing’s plane is altered by the adaptation of the vestibular system to weightlessness, or under gravitational levels less than or greater than those of Earth. A further question is whether the body compensates for the missing inputs from the vestibular system by substituting other mechanisms during long-term spaceflight.Missions
The ETD was employed for this study throughout the period from 2004 to 2008. During each six-month increment the experimental procedure was performed at regular three-week intervals so that the adaptation to microgravity could be evaluated. In addition equivalent measurements were made over the initial weeks after the return to Earth of each cosmonaut or astronaut. In the meantime the ETD equipment remains on the ISS as a general purpose instrument. It is currently in use by a group of Russian scientists from the Institute for Biomedical Problems, who are examining eye and head movement coordination in microgravity.Technology
The digital eye tracking cameras - designed around state-of-the-art CMOSCMOS
Complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor is a technology for constructing integrated circuits. CMOS technology is used in microprocessors, microcontrollers, static RAM, and other digital logic circuits...
image sensors - are interfaced to a dedicated processor board in the host PC via bi-directional, high speed digital transmission links (400 Mb/s). This PCI plug-in board carries the front-end processing architecture, consisting of digital signal processor
Digital signal processor
A digital signal processor is a specialized microprocessor with an architecture optimized for the fast operational needs of digital signal processing.-Typical characteristics:...
s (DSP) and programmable logic devices (FPGA) for binocular, online image and signal acquisition.
For the eye tracking task, a substantial data reduction is performed by the sensor and the front-end processing. Thus, only preselected data are transferred from the image sensor through to the host PC where the final algorithms and data storage are implemented. This eliminates the bottleneck caused by standard frame-by-frame image acquisition, and thus facilitates considerably higher image sampling rates.
This processing architecture is integrated into a ruggedised, IBM
IBM
International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
compatible PC, which permits visualisation of the eyes and the corresponding signals. An important design feature is the digital storage of all image sequences from the cameras as digital files on exchangeable hard disk. After completion of each ISS mission, the hard disk containing the recordings is returned to Earth. This ensures comprehensive and reliable image processing analysis in the investigators’ lab and minimises the time required for the experiment on the ISS.
Eye Tracking Device on Earth
In parallel to the space-qualified version of the Eye Tracker a commercially available model has been manufactured by the company Chronos Vision in Berlin and is installed in many laboratories in Europe, North America and Asia, where it represents an essential tool for the examination of numerous neurophysiological phenomena.Companies
- Mirametrix S2 Eye Tracker
- SmartNav
- DynavoxDynaVoxDynaVox Mayer-Johnson is a US-based developer, manufacturer and distributor of Speech Generating Devices headquartered in Pittsburgh, PA. The company was formed in 1983 and has since become the leading provider of speech communication devices and symbol-adapted special education software used to...
- Tobii TechnologyTobii TechnologyTobii Technology is a manufacturer of hardware and software solutions for eye tracking.The company was founded by three Swedish entrepreneurs; John Elvesjo, Henrik Eskilsson and Marten Skogo, in 2001 and has continuously shown very rapid year-to-year revenue growth - in 2007, Tobii was awarded a...
- EyeTech Digital SystemsEyeTech Digital Systems-Profile:EyeTech Digital Systems is a privately held company based in Mesa, Arizona that makes systems for capturing eye-gaze data. Their first products allowed computer users to control their computer cursor through eye movement and were designed to be used by people with disabilities...
- GrinbathGrinbathGrinbath, LLC is an American computer software and hardware company that designs and develops usability and accessibility tools. The company produces the EyeGuide™eye tracking system and has announced plans for an eye-based assistive technology. The company is headquartered in Lubbock, Texas,...
- Eye-Com Corporation
- LC Technologies
See also
- AttentionTrackingAttentionTrackingAttentionTracking is an attention measurement procedure. In contrast to classical machine-based eye tracking, during AttentionTracking the attention is measured with a computer mouse or a comparable pointing device...
- International Space StationInternational Space StationThe International Space Station is a habitable, artificial satellite in low Earth orbit. The ISS follows the Salyut, Almaz, Cosmos, Skylab, and Mir space stations, as the 11th space station launched, not including the Genesis I and II prototypes...
- Scientific research on the ISSScientific research on the ISSScientific Research on the International Space Station is a collection of experiments that require one or more of the unusual conditions present in low Earth orbit. The primary fields of research include human research, space medicine, life sciences, physical sciences, astronomy and meteorology...
- Eye trackingEye trackingEye tracking is the process of measuring either the point of gaze or the motion of an eye relative to the head. An eye tracker is a device for measuring eye positions and eye movement. Eye trackers are used in research on the visual system, in psychology, in cognitive linguistics and in product...
- NASANASAThe National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
- European Space AgencyEuropean Space AgencyThe European Space Agency , established in 1975, is an intergovernmental organisation dedicated to the exploration of space, currently with 18 member states...
- German Aerospace CenterGerman Aerospace CenterThe German Aerospace Center is the national centre for aerospace, energy and transportation research of the Federal Republic of Germany. It has multiple locations throughout Germany. Its headquarters are located in Cologne. It is engaged in a wide range of research and development projects in...
External links
- Vestibular Lab, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin
- ITU GazeGroup - Research on eye tracking and gaze interaction
- openEyes
- Mirametrix S2 Eye Tracker