Eye-tracking Device Research Articles

A Novel Integrated Eye-Tracking System with Stereo Stimuli for 3D Gaze Estimation

Eye-tracking technology is increasingly used in applications such as 3D displays and human-computer interaction (HCI). However, most current eye trackers focus on 2D point-of-gaze (PoG) estimation and cannot provide accurate gaze depth. Concerning future applications such as HCI with 3D displays, we propose an integrated binocular eye-tracking device with stereo stimuli to provide highly accurate 3D PoG estimation. In our device, the 3D stereo imaging system can provide users with a friendly and immersive 3D visual experience without wearing any accessories. The eye-capturing system can directly record the users’ eye movements under 3D stimuli without disturbance, which can realize front views of eye images while ensuring the user’s wide field of view (FOV). A regression-based 3D eye-tracking model is built based on collected eye movement data under stereo stimuli. Our model estimates users’ 2D gaze with features defined by eye region landmarks and further estimates 3D gaze with a multi-source feature set constructed by comprehensive eye movement features and disparity features from stereo stimuli. Two test stereo scenes with different depths of field are designed to verify the model’s effectiveness. Experimental results of four-fold cross-validation show that the average error for 2D gaze estimation was 0.65°. For 3D gaze estimation, the average errors are 1.69 cm over the workspace volume 50 × 30 × 75 cm <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">3</sup> and 0.14 m over the workspace volume 2.4 × 4.0 × 7.9 m <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">3</sup> . Two preliminary validation experiments also demonstrate that our system has broad application prospects, such as 3D vision technologies and medical applications related to neurological diseases.

Gaze Exploration Index (GE i)-Explainable Detection Model for Glaucoma

Glaucoma is a type of visual impairment that is caused due to damage in the optic nerve. The vision loss increases from the peripheral vision towards the central vision, leading to blindness if untreated. The proposed approach is a Computer-Aided Detection (CADe) system using deep learning to screen visual field loss in glaucoma patients while performing different day-to-day activities such as searching objects, viewing photographs, etc. Incorporating an eye-tracking device helps to identify eye movements of glaucoma patients while performing different activities. Different day-to-day activities are depicted in the form of visual exploration tasks. CADe system fuses performance parameters and eye gaze parameters during visual exploration tasks onto images, to guide health care professionals of primary eye care centers in glaucoma screening. The pertinent eye gaze and performance parameters are visualized in the form of three fusion maps: Gaze Fusion Map (GFM), Gaze Fusion Reaction Time (GFRT) map, Gaze Convex Hull Map (GCHM), which are the outcomes of different visual exploration tasks. In addition, the explainability techniques applied in CADe generated Gaze Exploration - index (GE-i) that discriminates glaucoma and normal.

Objective Eye Tracking Metrics of Vision and Autonomic Dysfunction Distinguish Adolescents With Acute Concussion and Those with Persistent Post-Concussion Symptoms from Uninjured Controls

To explore the utility of an eye-tracking assessment in distinguishing binocular alignment, saccadic movement, and pupillary dynamics among uninjured adolescents, acute cases (= 28 days since concussion), and persistent cases (>28 days since concussion). Visual and autonomic system disturbances are common sequelae of concussion. Quantification of visual and autonomic dysfunction via an eye tracking device could provide an objective method of acute diagnosis and subacute identification of ongoing injury. We compared 347 eye tracking metrics, derived from a 220 seconds eye-tracking assessment, among 132 uninjured adolescents (mean age: 15.3, 56.2% female), 110 acute cases (mean days since injury: 12.5, mean age: 15.4, 46.4% female), and 95 persistent cases (mean days since injury: 53.6, mean age: 15.4, 70.2% female) using Kruskal-Wallis tests with Bonferroni corrections to account for multiple comparisons. Nine eye-tracking metrics were significantly associated with injury status. One measure of binocular alignment (acute v. control: p = 0.003, persistent v. control: p = 0.001) and one measure of saccadic movement (acute v. persistent: p = 0.03, acute v. control: p = 0.03, persistent v. control: p < 0.001) were worse in cases. Cases had larger left and right mean and median pupil size than uninjured adolescents (acute v. control, p < 0.001; persistent v. control, p < 0.001). Cases had greater differences in mean (acute v. control: p < 0.001, persistent v. control: p < 0.001), median (acute v. control, p < 0.001, persistent v. control, p = 0.003), and variance of (acute v. control: p < 0.001, persistent v. control: p < 0.001) left and right pupil size. Eight of these metrics distinguished female cases from uninjured adolescents, but similar differences were not observed in male participants. Objective eye tracking technology can identify vision and pupillary disturbances after concussion. These metrics could be integrated into clinical practice to monitor recovery in a heterogeneous adolescent concussion population and may identify sex-specific differences in autonomic dysfunction.

Fixational eye movements following concussion.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate fixational eye movements (FEMs) with high spatial and temporal resolution following concussion, where oculomotor symptoms and impairments are common. Concussion diagnosis was determined using current consensus guidelines. A retinal eye-tracking device, the tracking scanning laser ophthalmoscope (TSLO), was used to measure FEMs in adolescents and young adults following a concussion and in an unaffected control population. FEMs were quantified in two fixational paradigms: (1) when fixating on the center, or (2) when fixating on the corner of the TSLO imaging raster. Fixational saccade amplitude in recent concussion patients (≤ 21 days) was significantly greater, on average, in the concussion group (mean = 1.03°; SD = 0.36°) compared with the controls (mean = 0.82°; SD = 0.31°), when fixating on the center of the imaging raster (t = 2.87, df = 82, p = 0.005). These fixational saccades followed the main sequence and therefore also had greater peak velocity (t = 2.86, df = 82, p = 0.006) and peak acceleration (t = 2.80, df = 82, p = 0.006). These metrics significantly differentiated concussed from controls (AUC = 0.67–0.68, minimum p = 0.005). No group differences were seen for the drift metrics in either task or for any of the FEMs metrics in the corner-of-raster fixation task. Fixational saccade amplitudes were significantly different in the concussion group, but only when fixating on the center of the raster. This task specificity suggests that task optimization may improve differentiation and warrants further study. FEMs measured in the acute-to-subacute period of concussion recovery may provide a quick (<3 minutes), objective, sensitive, and accurate ocular dysfunction assessment. Future work should assess the impact of age, mechanism of injury, and post-concussion recovery on FEM alterations following concussion.

End in view: Joint end-state comfort depends on gaze and extraversion.

This study investigated how humans adapt to a partner's movement in a joint pick-and-place task and examined the role of gaze behavior and personality traits in adapting to a partner. Two participants sitting side-by-side transported a cup from one end of a table to the other. The participant sitting on the left (the agent) moved the cup to an intermediate position from where the participant sitting on the right (the partner) transported it to a goal position with varying orientations. Hand, finger, cup movements and gaze behavior were recorded synchronously via motion tracking and portable eye tracking devices. Results showed interindividual differences in the extent of the agents' motor adaptation to the joint action goal, which were accompanied by differences in gaze patterns. The longer agents directed their gaze to a cue indicating the goal orientation, the more they adapted the rotation of the cup's handle when placing it at the intermediate position. Personality trait assessment showed that higher extraverted tendencies to strive for social potency went along with more adaptation to the joint goal. These results indicate that agents who consider their partner's end-state comfort use their gaze to gather more information about the joint action goal compared to agents who do not. Moreover, the disposition to enjoy leadership and make decisions in interpersonal situations seems to play a role in determining who adapts to a partner's task in joint action.

Early detection of frontotemporal dementia (EDoF): A digital biomarker study

AbstractBackgroundWith the commencement of clinical trials in frontotemporal dementia (FTD), robust biomarkers that can detect the earliest signs of the disease and also measure treatment effect, are essential. Pen and paper assessments are laborious, administered infrequently, and can rely on subjective reporting. Using digital devices allows for more frequent, often continuous, assessment from home, whilst producing a wealth of objective data. The Early Detection of Frontotemporal dementia (EDoF) study aims to develop a series of digital measures that may be useful for the diagnosis of FTD and for outcome measures in trials.MethodThe EDoF study includes: a computerised cognitive battery, a mobile eye tracking device, a novel app that passively measures cognitive function by monitoring smartphone metadata, speech and language analysis using machine learning algorithms, actigraphy, and gait analysis. These measures are being validated in a large control population before being tested in symptomatic and presymptomatic genetic FTD within the Genetic FTD Initiative (GENFI) study.ResultWe are currently recruiting participants to the initial arms of the study, with over 1,300 healthy controls having already completed the computerized cognitive battery. The mobile eye tracking device measures eye movement abnormalities but also uses instructionless eye movement tasks to measure executive function and social cognition. Pilot eye tracking data shows abnormalities of these tasks in symptomatic FTD, and also for antisaccadic eye movements in presymptomatic FTD. Normative data for all of the measures will be generated helping to assess construct validity and retest reliability.ConclusionEDoF is the first study aiming to use a comprehensive set of digital measures to detect early FTD. It may also prove useful for home monitoring within future therapeutic trials of FTD.

Blinking kinematics characterization during digital displays use

PurposeThis study aimed to assess the differences in blinking kinematics while reading on different digital displays and a control condition.MethodsThirty-two young healthy individuals were included in this prospective clinical study. The blinks of subjects were recorded for 150 s while reading on a laptop computer, tablet, e-reader, and smartphone and a control condition. Blinks were recorded using an eye-tracking device and were analyzed by means of image analysis to obtain a non-invasive detailed description of the blink movement.ResultsBlink rate decreased when reading on all displays compared to the control (p < 0.0005), although no differences were obtained amongst displays (p > 0.05). The percentage of incomplete blinks was higher with the computer compared to the control (p = 0.043), and lower with the smartphone compared to the rest of the conditions (p ≤ 0.015). Blink amplitude was smaller when reading from handheld devices compared to the control (p < 0.0005) and the computer (p ≤ 0.048). Closing and opening blink durations remained unvaried amongst conditions (p > 0.05), while opening and closing speeds were greater for the control and the computer compared to the handheld displays (p < 0.0005). Finally, contact and total blink durations were shorter during computer reading compared to the control (p = 0.004 and p = 0.017, respectively).ConclusionBlinking kinematics vary considerably amongst displays and with respect to baseline, with these differences being probably attributed to differences in the way the displays are set up and the cognitive demand of the task.

Gaze-driven placement of items for proactive visual exploration

Recent advances in digital signage technology have improved the ability to visually select specific items within a group. Although this is due to the ability to dynamically update the display of items, the corresponding layout schemes remain a subject of research. This paper explores the sophisticated layout of items by respecting the underlying context of searching for favorite items. Our study begins by formulating the static placement of items as an optimization problem that incorporates aesthetic layout criteria as constraints. This is further extended to accommodate the dynamic placement of items for more proactive visual exploration based on the ongoing search context. Our animated layout is driven by analyzing the distribution of eye gaze through an eye-tracking device, by which we infer how the most attractive items lead to the finally wanted ones. We create a planar layout of items as a context map to establish association rules to dynamically replace existing items with new ones. For this purpose, we extract the set of important topics from a set of annotated texts associated with the items using matrix factorization. We also conduct user studies to evaluate the validity of the design criteria incorporated into both static and dynamic placement of items. After discussing the pros and cons of the proposed approach and possible themes for future research, we conclude this paper.

Multimodality During Fixation - Part II: Evidence for Multimodality in Spatial Precision-Related Distributions and Impact on Precision Estimates.

This paper is a follow-on to our earlier paper (7), which focused on the multimodality of angular offsets. This paper applies the same analysis to the measurement of spatial precision. Following the literature, we refer these measurements as estimates of device precision, but, in fact, subject characteristics clearly affect the measurements. One typical measure of the spatial precision of an eye-tracking device is the standard deviation (SD) of the position signals (horizontal and vertical) during a fixation. The SD is a highly interpretable measure of spread if the underlying error distribution is unimodal and normal. However, in the context of an underlying multimodal distribution, the SD is less interpretable. We will present evidence that the majority of such distributions are multimodal (68-70% strongly multimodal). Only 21-23% of position distributions were unimodal. We present an alternative method for measuring precision that is appropriate for both unimodal and multimodal distributions. This alternative method produces precision estimates that are substantially smaller than classic measures. We present illustrations of both unimodality and multimodality with either drift or a microsaccade present during fixation. At present, these observations apply only to the EyeLink 1000, and the subjects evaluated herein.

Exploring the role of the body in communicating ironic stance

Performing and understanding conversational irony requires a complex management of multiple viewpoints. To communicate and negotiate these intricate viewpoint shifts, speakers (and addressees) often use nonverbal means (e.g. gaze shifts, shrugs, shifts in body orientation, hand gestures, etc.) next to verbal viewpoint strategies. In the present paper we zoom in on the perspective of the speaker and try to describe and quantify bodily behavior in ironic utterances compared to non-ironic ones. To this end, we use data from a video-corpus of three-party interactions with participants wearing mobile eye-tracking devices that allow for precise eye gaze data. Our results show that speakers display more of the multimodal resources under scrutiny in ironic cases compared to non-ironic cases. More specifically, the involvement of bodily resources is mainly manifested in the use of laughter, head movements and body repositionings. We further show how those resources cluster into certain multimodal packages, and how the exact timing of the bodily behavior is relevant (i.e. the gaze behavior at the end of an ironic segment differs most notably from the end of a non-ironic one). Next to a quantitative analysis of the resources used in ironic talk in interaction, we also illustrate our findings with qualitative descriptions of relevant examples.

The use of predefined scales and scores with eye-tracking devices for symptom identification in critically ill nonverbal patients.

Eye tracking (ET) may be a novel tool to enable nonverbal communication. We hypothesized that ET could be used successfully by intensive care unit (ICU) patients with artificial airways to express their levels of pain and mood, quality of life, and self-esteem with predefined scales and scores. Prospective, monocentric, observational study, including patients with an endotracheal tube or tracheostomy tube and a history of mechanical ventilation for more than 48 hours without delirium, and inadequate nonverbal communication skills. The ICU patients' pain was assessed with a numeric rating scale, their mood was tested with a smiley analog scale. Quality of life and self-esteem were measured with the European quality of life-5 dimensions-5 levels-score and the visual analog self-esteem scale. A total of 75 patients with a mean age of 58.3 years were included. Main diagnoses for ICU admission were major trauma (45.3%), nonabdominal sepsis (22.6%), and acute abdomen (13.3%). Patients showed moderate levels of pain and sadness with a median of 4 (interquartile range, 3-5.5) on the numeric rating scale and a median of 4 (interquartile range, 3-4) on the smiley analog scale. The general health status on the European quality of life-5 dimensions-5 levels-score was rated as poor. Reporting on the visual analog self-esteem scale, most of the included patients felt trapped (90.7%) and not confident (72%), were frustrated (64%) or did not feel understood (56%). However, despite their severe illness, many patients classified themselves as intelligent (30.6%), not mixed up (38.6%), outgoing (38.6%), and optimistic (44%). Eye tracking enables symptom identification in critically ill voiceless patients with impaired communication options. The results of our study may provide guidance for improvement measures in the care of voiceless ICU patients. We believe that ET is useful for symptom identification and therefore may be capable of improving patient-medical team interaction and patient satisfaction. Diagnostic Test or Criteria, Level III.

Analysis of elementary school students' Explicatory Essay summarization using eye tracking devices

목적 본 연구에서는 요약하기 평가를 통해 선별된 수준별 학습자들의 요약하기 양상을 시선 추적 장치(Tobiii pro glasses2)를 통해 객관적으로 분석하였다. 방법 이를 위하여 D광역시 소재 초등학교 6학년 학생 4명을 대상으로 요약하기 과정에서 연구 대상자의 시선 이동 특성을 분석하기 위해 Tobii pro lab을 이용하여 Visualization 분석, A.O.I 설정 분석, T,O,I 설정 분석을 하였으며, 질적 분석을 위해 회상적 사고 구술방법을 활용하였다. 결과 요약하기 전체 과정에 대한 시선 이동 양상을 살펴본 결과 요약하기 수준이 상, 중에 속하는 학생은 요약하기 과제 글을 전체적으로 살펴본 뒤 요약작성을 시작하였고, 요약작성 시 본문 파트와 요약 파트를 넘나들며 요약 글을 작성하였다. 또한 중심문장과 뒷받침 문장에 시선이 고정된 횟수가 많았다. 요약 시간대별 학생들의 요약 글 작성을 위한 시선 고정 수를 살펴본 결과 요약하기 수준이 상, 중에 속하는 학생은 요약 초반에 본문 파트에 집중하고 후반으로 갈수록 요약 파트에 대한 고정이 늘어났다. 결론 연구 결과를 바탕으로 요약하기 수준이 다른 개별 학습자들의 요약과정이 어떤 양상과 차이를 보이는지 시선 추적 장치를 통해 객관적이고 과학적으로 분석하고 시사점을 도출했다는 데 그 의의가 있다.

Multi-Sensor Eye-Tracking Systems and Tools for Capturing Student Attention and Understanding Engagement in Learning: A Review

Dramatic advances in the design and deployment of sensors, edge communication and computing in recent years have enabled a significant shift and evolution in education. Pervasive learning in various learning environments, including face-to-face classrooms, online learning, virtual learning, and hybrid learning, is becoming our dominant learning paradigm for students who expect highly flexible and efficient options for studying at their own time, place, and pace. Especially, in our post-pandemic present, online learning will continue to gain in importance as a significant available and required learning component. This article provides a comprehensive review of the state-of-the-art systems and studies for assisting student learning and attempting to capture student attention and engagement in many different ways. It focuses on sensors and hardware, ranging from commercial multi-sensor eye-tracking devices to open-source, low-cost systems. We also explore and present system infrastructure, data features, data processing techniques, tools and software, and key technologies that are useful for enhancing many student learning environments. Additionally, the advantages, use cases, features, and limitations of different systems and techniques are explored and contrasted, where the results of our comparative analysis are summarized in tables for readers. This review article could assist both teachers and researchers to have a better understanding of current sensors, multi-sensor systems, and related technologies for capturing student attention and understanding their performance. It can also be applied to providing practical information for novel system design, promoting ongoing research studies, and fostering sensing and technology innovations for smart education.

Goalkeepers put their money where the coach’s mouth is: Knowing kickers’ preferences enhances anticipation of football goalkeepers

ABSTRACT We investigated the influence of providing football goalkeepers with kicker’s prior preferences on anticipation and gaze behaviour to explore the interaction of top-down and bottom-up cognitive processing. Forty participants (20 experienced goalkeepers and 20 novices) were asked to anticipate the direction of penalty kicks in three experimental conditions: without information (control situation), with correct information (congruent condition), and with wrong information (incongruent condition) on a kicker’s prior preferences. An eye-tracking device was used to analyse fixations on areas of interest. The participants anticipated the direction of the kick in congruent situations better than in the other two conditions (p = 0.001). Experienced goalkeepers were superior to novices in the incongruent and control conditions (p = 0.001). In those conditions, experienced goalkeepers also fixated more (p = 0.025) and longer (p = 0.046) on the trunk, and longer on the hips (p = 0.036), non-kicking leg (p = 0.001), and kicking leg (p = 0.001). We conclude that providing congruent information on a kicker’s preferences positively impacts goalkeepers’ anticipation. This confirms a model that expertise differences between experienced goalkeepers and novices are more prominent when the interaction of bottom-up and top-down processes is difficult.

Urban Architecture: Eyes from the City A Mobile Eye-Tracking Study of Urban Villages

This feasibility study assesses the strength and weaknesses of a novel methodology applied to the design of urban architecture to enrich the process of urban planning to satisfy the needs of a city’s inhabitants. Specifically, a visual preference survey was conducted using eye-tracking technology to observe the influence of urban differing scales on the human visual experience. Using an observational design, two architectural conditions were introduced to section an urban village into a few predetermined areas and walking lines. The visual experience of ten participants was then collected using a mobile eye-tracking device. Results showed that people indeed have different visual perceptions when interacting with urban fabric, and that such perceptions change from a formal to a traditional scale design

Evaluation of saccadic velocity in patients with orbital floor fracture before and after surgery

ABSTRACT Saccadic eye movement plays an important role in the rapid movement of the eyes to visual targets; however, it has not been fully investigated in patients with an orbital floor fracture. Thus, this study investigated saccadic eye movement before and after surgery in patients with an orbital floor fracture. The saccadic peak velocity (PV) was recorded using an eye-tracking device before and after surgery in nine eyes of nine patients with an orbital floor fracture. The type of fracture was a depressed fragment fracture in all cases, and there was no trap-door fracture. Ocular motility and diplopia were evaluated by the Hess area ratio (HAR%) and the scoring of binocular single vision (BSV). The preoperative HAR% and those at 1 month post-surgery and the final post-surgery observation were 62 ± 6%, 83 ± 11%, and 91 ± 8%, respectively. The preoperative, 1 month post-surgery, and final observation post-surgery BSV scores were 34 ± 18, 46 ± 8, and 50 ± 8 points, respectively. The postoperative HAR% and BSV were significantly improved at the final post-surgery observation (p < .05 each). The saccadic PVs of adduction, abduction, and downgaze before and after surgery were not significantly different in both the non-injured eyes and the injured eyes. However, the upgaze saccadic PVs at 1 month and the final post-surgery observation in the injured eyes were significantly increased (p < .05 each). The saccadic PV may be useful to evaluate detailed and precise extraocular muscle function before and after surgery for orbital floor fractures.

THE QUIET EYE- ITS ROLE IN SQUASH

Three areas about the role of vision in hitting a squash ball were investigated- the fixation timings (early or late), the fixation location (ball centre, not the centre of the ball) and the area the ball landed.Intermediate and semi professional squash athletes were asked to wear an eye tracking device and hit a straight drive on either side as close to the sidewall as they could, while someone was repeatedly feeding them the ball. Three succeeding Quiet Eye periods were observed- racket preparation (when the athlete moved his racket in preparation of the shot), racket extension (when the athlete swung his racket to hit the ball) and ball hit (once the athlete hit the shot till it touched the wall).

The cognitive workload of air pistol shooters on the aiming task

Background: Pupil dilations of the eye are known to correspond to central cognitive processes. Pupil size variations have been used for many years as a window on the mind, and various pupillary features have been associated with a number of cognitive processes Aim: The aim of this study is to examine levels of cognitive workload that occur during the aiming task of air-pistol shooting athletes according to the change that takes place in the pupils. Methods: Eight right-handed skilled male shooters (4 elite and 4 novice) were recruited in this study. A total of 320 shots - 160 dry (unscored) shots and 160 live (scored) shots - were recorded with a mobile eye-tracking device. The obtained pupil data were subjected to biometric analysis. The athletes’ pupil sizes were determined with the independent samples t-test according to whether the shot made was scored or unscored and whether the athletes were elite or novice. The athletes’ pupil size values at the beginning and end of the shot were obtained using the paired samples t-test. Results: On completion of the shot, the sport shooters’ pupils dilated on average by 2.85 mm at a rate of 32.5% compared to the situation at shot onset. Moreover, novice shooters’ pupils dilated more when firing scored shots than when firing unscored shots. According to the research results, it can be said that sports shooters engage in intensive cognitive processes while aiming and trigger pulling immediately before firing the shot. Novice shooters engage in more intensive cognitive processes when firing scored shots than when firing unscored shots. Conclusion: According to the results of the research, it can be said that in the sport of air pistol shooting, giving priority to dry (unscored) shooting training can contribute positively to the development of novice athletes’ aiming task skills and cognitive load capacity. Keywords: Cognitive workload, cognitive processes, eye tracking, air pistol, shooting

High-Accuracy Gaze Estimation for Interpolation-Based Eye-Tracking Methods.

This study investigates the influence of the eye-camera location associated with the accuracy and precision of interpolation-based eye-tracking methods. Several factors can negatively influence gaze estimation methods when building a commercial or off-the-shelf eye tracker device, including the eye-camera location in uncalibrated setups. Our experiments show that the eye-camera location combined with the non-coplanarity of the eye plane deforms the eye feature distribution when the eye-camera is far from the eye’s optical axis. This paper proposes geometric transformation methods to reshape the eye feature distribution based on the virtual alignment of the eye-camera in the center of the eye’s optical axis. The data analysis uses eye-tracking data from a simulated environment and an experiment with 83 volunteer participants (55 males and 28 females). We evaluate the improvements achieved with the proposed methods using Gaussian analysis, which defines a range for high-accuracy gaze estimation between and . Compared to traditional polynomial-based and homography-based gaze estimation methods, the proposed methods increase the number of gaze estimations in the high-accuracy range.

Crosschecking through verbal reports under spatial disorientation scenarios: Evidence from eye tracking metrics

Spatial disorientation (SD) can lead to serious aviation accidents. To deal with this predicament, verbal reports (VR), a procedure that requires pilots to verbalize flight information during SD situations, are being carried out in the Republic of Korea Air Force. However, the impact of VR execution on visual attention under SD situations remains to be unexplored. Thus, the purpose of this study is to systematically and objectively analyze the effect of VR execution on pilot's visual attention across different SD illusion types by utilizing eye-tracking measures. The experiment was conducted on 25 male Air Force fighter pilots (14 in the VR group and 11 in the non-VR group) using a flight simulator and eye-tracking device. VR execution and areas of interest (AOIs) served as the independent variables while, eye-tracking metrics and a 7-point perceived attentional load scale served as the dependent variables. The pilots performed the flight task experiencing six types of illusion provoking SD scenarios in a single flight profile (15 min). Findings showed that the gaze distribution in the VR group tended to focus less on areas outside the AOIs than in the non-VR group in all SD scenarios. In addition, the fixation frequency in attitude related AOI on the head-up display for the Coriolis, false horizon, and graveyard spin illusions was significantly higher for the VR group than the non-VR group. On the other hand, there were no significant differences in terms of the perceived attentional load between VR and non-VR group. These suggest that VR execution can be recommended as a means to improve visual attention and to counteract SD effects.