A low-cost, high-performance video-based binocular eye tracker for psychophysical research

We describe a high-performance, pupil-based binocular eye tracker that approaches the performance of a well-established commercial system, but at a fraction of the cost. The eye tracker is built from standard hardware components, and its software (written in Visual C++) can be easily implemented. Be...

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Main Authors: Daria Ivanchenko, Katharina Rifai, Ziad M. Hafed, Frank Schaeffel
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2021-05-01
Series:Journal of Eye Movement Research
Subjects:
Online Access:https://bop.unibe.ch/JEMR/article/view/7338
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author Daria Ivanchenko
Katharina Rifai
Ziad M. Hafed
Frank Schaeffel
author_facet Daria Ivanchenko
Katharina Rifai
Ziad M. Hafed
Frank Schaeffel
author_sort Daria Ivanchenko
collection DOAJ
description We describe a high-performance, pupil-based binocular eye tracker that approaches the performance of a well-established commercial system, but at a fraction of the cost. The eye tracker is built from standard hardware components, and its software (written in Visual C++) can be easily implemented. Because of its fast and simple linear calibration scheme, the eye tracker performs best in the central 10 degrees of the visual field. The eye tracker possesses a number of useful features: (1) automated calibration simultaneously in both eyes while subjects fixate four fixation points sequentially on a computer screen, (2) automated real-time continuous analysis of measurement noise, (3) automated blink detection, (4) and real-time analysis of pupil centration artifacts. This last feature is critical because it is known that pupil diameter changes can be erroneously registered by pupil-based trackers as a change in eye position. We evaluated the performance of our system against that of a well-established commercial system using simultaneous measurements in 10 participants. We propose our low-cost eye tracker as a promising resource for studies of binocular eye movements.
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spelling doaj-art-4e7b7f8725dc4891acebd7eeeca5684e2025-08-20T03:06:09ZengMDPI AGJournal of Eye Movement Research1995-86922021-05-0114310.16910/jemr.14.3.3A low-cost, high-performance video-based binocular eye tracker for psychophysical researchDaria Ivanchenko0Katharina Rifai1Ziad M. Hafed2Frank Schaeffel3University of TuebingenUniversity of TuebingenUniversity of TuebingenHead of the Section of Neurobiology of the Eye, Institute for Ophthalmic Research, University of TübingenWe describe a high-performance, pupil-based binocular eye tracker that approaches the performance of a well-established commercial system, but at a fraction of the cost. The eye tracker is built from standard hardware components, and its software (written in Visual C++) can be easily implemented. Because of its fast and simple linear calibration scheme, the eye tracker performs best in the central 10 degrees of the visual field. The eye tracker possesses a number of useful features: (1) automated calibration simultaneously in both eyes while subjects fixate four fixation points sequentially on a computer screen, (2) automated real-time continuous analysis of measurement noise, (3) automated blink detection, (4) and real-time analysis of pupil centration artifacts. This last feature is critical because it is known that pupil diameter changes can be erroneously registered by pupil-based trackers as a change in eye position. We evaluated the performance of our system against that of a well-established commercial system using simultaneous measurements in 10 participants. We propose our low-cost eye tracker as a promising resource for studies of binocular eye movements.https://bop.unibe.ch/JEMR/article/view/7338Eye movementeye trackingsaccadesmicrosaccadesvergenceusability
spellingShingle Daria Ivanchenko
Katharina Rifai
Ziad M. Hafed
Frank Schaeffel
A low-cost, high-performance video-based binocular eye tracker for psychophysical research
Journal of Eye Movement Research
Eye movement
eye tracking
saccades
microsaccades
vergence
usability
title A low-cost, high-performance video-based binocular eye tracker for psychophysical research
title_full A low-cost, high-performance video-based binocular eye tracker for psychophysical research
title_fullStr A low-cost, high-performance video-based binocular eye tracker for psychophysical research
title_full_unstemmed A low-cost, high-performance video-based binocular eye tracker for psychophysical research
title_short A low-cost, high-performance video-based binocular eye tracker for psychophysical research
title_sort low cost high performance video based binocular eye tracker for psychophysical research
topic Eye movement
eye tracking
saccades
microsaccades
vergence
usability
url https://bop.unibe.ch/JEMR/article/view/7338
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