Abstract
Eye-tracking technology is a biometric tool that has found many commercial and research applications. The recent advent of affordable wearable sensors has considerably expanded the range of these possibilities to fields such as computer gaming, education, entertainment, health, neuromarketing, psychology, etc. The Visual Attention Software by 3M (3M-VAS) is an artificial intelligence application that was formulated using experimental data from eye-tracking. It can be used to predict viewer reactions to images, generating fixation point probability maps and fixation point sequence estimations, thus revealing pre-attentive processing of visual stimuli with a very high degree of accuracy. We have used 3M-VAS software in an innovative implementation to analyze images of different buildings, either in their original state or photographically manipulated, as well as various geometric patterns. The software not only reveals non-obvious fixation points, but also overall relative design coherence, a key element of Christopher Alexander’s theory of geometrical order. A more evenly distributed field of attention seen in some structures contrasts with other buildings being ignored, those showing instead unconnected points of splintered attention. Our findings are non-intuitive and surprising. We link these results to both Alexander’s theory and Neuroscience, identify potential pitfalls in the software’s use, and also suggest ways to avoid them.
Highlights
Visual Attention Software by 3M Company (3M-VAS) is an artificial intelligence application that was formulated using a large quantity of eye-tracking experimental data, and it can be used to predict initial viewer reactions to images
We find that the software reveals significant differences between buildings that are compared side-to-side using scans: their façade immediately fixated upon, with the eye drawn by overall design coherence, versus others that are avoided, with the eye drawn beyond the façade’s edges
The other component of this paper describes how Christopher Alexander predicted how the brain responds to buildings and design 40 years ago, but no one at that time cared to listen
Summary
Visual Attention Software by 3M Company (3M-VAS) is an artificial intelligence application that was formulated using a large quantity of eye-tracking experimental data, and it can be used to predict initial viewer reactions to images. The software’s originally conceived applications were related to product design, advertisements, signage, unconscious user attraction, etc. We envision that this could soon become a very popular tool to evaluate and improve the design of the built environment. We find that the software reveals significant differences between buildings that are compared side-to-side using scans: their façade immediately fixated upon, with the eye drawn by overall design coherence, versus others that are avoided, with the eye drawn beyond the façade’s edges
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