Collaborative Robot Control Based on Human Gaze Tracking

Gaze tracking is gaining relevance in collaborative robotics as a means to enhance human–machine interaction by enabling intuitive and non-verbal communication. This study explores the integration of human gaze into collaborative robotics by demonstrating the possibility of controlling a robotic man...

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Main Authors: Francesco Di Stefano, Alice Giambertone, Laura Salamina, Matteo Melchiorre, Stefano Mauro
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-05-01
Series:Sensors
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/25/10/3103
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author Francesco Di Stefano
Alice Giambertone
Laura Salamina
Matteo Melchiorre
Stefano Mauro
author_facet Francesco Di Stefano
Alice Giambertone
Laura Salamina
Matteo Melchiorre
Stefano Mauro
author_sort Francesco Di Stefano
collection DOAJ
description Gaze tracking is gaining relevance in collaborative robotics as a means to enhance human–machine interaction by enabling intuitive and non-verbal communication. This study explores the integration of human gaze into collaborative robotics by demonstrating the possibility of controlling a robotic manipulator with a practical and non-intrusive setup made up of a vision system and gaze-tracking software. After presenting a comparison between the major available systems on the market, OpenFace 2.0 was selected as the primary gaze-tracking software and integrated with a UR5 collaborative robot through a MATLAB-based control framework. Validation was conducted through real-world experiments, analyzing the effects of raw and filtered gaze data on system accuracy and responsiveness. The results indicate that gaze tracking can effectively guide robot motion, though signal processing significantly impacts responsiveness and control precision. This work establishes a foundation for future research on gaze-assisted robotic control, highlighting its potential benefits and challenges in enhancing human–robot collaboration.
format Article
id doaj-art-51d987f9ef754473bc9246f32c1f6e6f
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issn 1424-8220
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publishDate 2025-05-01
publisher MDPI AG
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series Sensors
spelling doaj-art-51d987f9ef754473bc9246f32c1f6e6f2025-08-20T01:56:38ZengMDPI AGSensors1424-82202025-05-012510310310.3390/s25103103Collaborative Robot Control Based on Human Gaze TrackingFrancesco Di Stefano0Alice Giambertone1Laura Salamina2Matteo Melchiorre3Stefano Mauro4Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Politecnico di Torino, 10129 Torino, ItalyDepartment of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Politecnico di Torino, 10129 Torino, ItalyDepartment of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Politecnico di Torino, 10129 Torino, ItalyDepartment of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Politecnico di Torino, 10129 Torino, ItalyDepartment of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Politecnico di Torino, 10129 Torino, ItalyGaze tracking is gaining relevance in collaborative robotics as a means to enhance human–machine interaction by enabling intuitive and non-verbal communication. This study explores the integration of human gaze into collaborative robotics by demonstrating the possibility of controlling a robotic manipulator with a practical and non-intrusive setup made up of a vision system and gaze-tracking software. After presenting a comparison between the major available systems on the market, OpenFace 2.0 was selected as the primary gaze-tracking software and integrated with a UR5 collaborative robot through a MATLAB-based control framework. Validation was conducted through real-world experiments, analyzing the effects of raw and filtered gaze data on system accuracy and responsiveness. The results indicate that gaze tracking can effectively guide robot motion, though signal processing significantly impacts responsiveness and control precision. This work establishes a foundation for future research on gaze-assisted robotic control, highlighting its potential benefits and challenges in enhancing human–robot collaboration.https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/25/10/3103gaze trackingcollaborative roboticshuman–machine interactionrobot controleye tracking technologies
spellingShingle Francesco Di Stefano
Alice Giambertone
Laura Salamina
Matteo Melchiorre
Stefano Mauro
Collaborative Robot Control Based on Human Gaze Tracking
Sensors
gaze tracking
collaborative robotics
human–machine interaction
robot control
eye tracking technologies
title Collaborative Robot Control Based on Human Gaze Tracking
title_full Collaborative Robot Control Based on Human Gaze Tracking
title_fullStr Collaborative Robot Control Based on Human Gaze Tracking
title_full_unstemmed Collaborative Robot Control Based on Human Gaze Tracking
title_short Collaborative Robot Control Based on Human Gaze Tracking
title_sort collaborative robot control based on human gaze tracking
topic gaze tracking
collaborative robotics
human–machine interaction
robot control
eye tracking technologies
url https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/25/10/3103
work_keys_str_mv AT francescodistefano collaborativerobotcontrolbasedonhumangazetracking
AT alicegiambertone collaborativerobotcontrolbasedonhumangazetracking
AT laurasalamina collaborativerobotcontrolbasedonhumangazetracking
AT matteomelchiorre collaborativerobotcontrolbasedonhumangazetracking
AT stefanomauro collaborativerobotcontrolbasedonhumangazetracking