Big Tech has shown a lot of interest in eye tracking in the context of AR gadgets. As early as the 19th century, eye tracking was developed as a technology to aid academics in understanding and documenting visual attention in a research lab setting.
It has typically been used in cognitive psychology, marketing research, and more recently in human-computer interfaces, where it can improve the quality of life for patients with disabilities.
A near-infrared light is used to illuminate the eyes in a technique known as corneal reflection, which results in a reflection that is seen by a high resolution camera.
The location of gaze and the stimuli are then determined by sophisticated picture programming, allowing a heat map of a person’s viewing patterns in a specific setting to be created. Additionally, information about the pupil’s position, blinking patterns, and eye movements is recorded.
The range of eye tracking applications has greatly expanded in recent years. These applications now include everything from driver monitoring systems to attention management in education, elderly care, e-commerce website design, and even video games as a tool for creating “emotional journeys” for players.
However, rather than being built-in features in products intended at the consumer market, these applications are typically carried out as part of product development or research projects.