Gaze Movements Research Articles

Анализ характеристик движения глаз оператора для определения степени его утомления

The article presents a method for searching characteristics of eye movements that correlate with fatigue. There are many characteristics of eye movements to determine fatigue. All these characteristics are calculated from such basic concepts of gaze movement as fixation and saccade. Characteristics can also be divided by the types of physical events on which they are based. It is possible to distinguish such characteristics as speed, time, quantity, size, percentage, frequency and ratio characteristics. To search for correlations between eye movement characteristics and fatigue, a dataset of eye movements and the results of the VAS-F fatigue questionnaire were analyzed in 6 subjects. The data set consists of operator parameters such as eye movements, scene camera image and gaze direction. To determine the level of fatigue, the participant completed the VAS-F questionnaire. This questionnaire consists of 18 questions about the degree of fatigue or enrgetic of a person. Each record from the data set corresponds to a questionnaire result. 60 characteristics of eye movements and the corresponding VAS-F test values were analyzed and the correlation between them was calculated. The characteristics of eye movements were then sorted in descending order of the obtained correlation values. For further analysis, the first 20 characteristics with the highest correlation were selected from each participant. A search was then made for characteristics that were found in two-thirds or more of the participants among the first 20 characteristics. As a result, 10 characteristics of eye movements were found that correlated with VAS-F test scores for each participant.

Information Difference of Transfer Entropies between Head Motion and Eye Movement Indicates a Proxy of Driving.

Visual scanning is achieved via head motion and gaze movement for visual information acquisition and cognitive processing, which plays a critical role in undertaking common sensorimotor tasks such as driving. The coordination of the head and eyes is an important human behavior to make a key contribution to goal-directed visual scanning and sensorimotor driving. In this paper, we basically investigate the two most common patterns in eye-head coordination: "head motion earlier than eye movement" and "eye movement earlier than head motion". We utilize bidirectional transfer entropies between head motion and eye movements to determine the existence of these two eye-head coordination patterns. Furthermore, we propose a unidirectional information difference to assess which pattern predominates in head-eye coordination. Additionally, we have discovered a significant correlation between the normalized unidirectional information difference and driving performance. This result not only indicates the influence of eye-head coordination on driving behavior from a computational perspective but also validates the practical significance of our approach utilizing transfer entropy for quantifying eye-head coordination.

The Shortest Route is Not Always the Fastest: Probability-Modeled Stereoscopic Eye Movement Completion Time in VR

Speed and consistency of target-shifting play a crucial role in human ability to perform complex tasks. Shifting our gaze between objects of interest quickly and consistently requires changes both in depth and direction. Gaze changes in depth are driven by slow, inconsistent vergence movements which rotate the eyes in opposite directions, while changes in direction are driven by ballistic, consistent movements called saccades , which rotate the eyes in the same direction. In the natural world, most of our eye movements are a combination of both types. While scientific consensus on the nature of saccades exists, vergence and combined movements remain less understood and agreed upon. We eschew the lack of scientific consensus in favor of proposing an operationalized computational model which predicts the completion time of any type of gaze movement during target-shifting in 3D. To this end, we conduct a psychophysical study in a stereo VR environment to collect more than 12,000 gaze movement trials, analyze the temporal distribution of the observed gaze movements, and fit a probabilistic model to the data. We perform a series of objective measurements and user studies to validate the model. The results demonstrate its predictive accuracy, generalization, as well as applications for optimizing visual performance by altering content placement. Lastly, we leverage the model to measure differences in human target-changing time relative to the natural world, as well as suggest scene-aware projection depth. By incorporating the complexities and randomness of human oculomotor control, we hope this research will support new behavior-aware metrics for VR/AR display design, interface layout, and gaze-contingent rendering.

For higher accuracy: 3D eye movement gaze depth estimation method based on Mix-TCN

Currently, the biggest obstacle in applying eye tracking technology in Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) scenes is the particular difficulty in choosing distance and object distance in 3D scenes. In previous research, geometric calculation methods using vestibular ocular reflex (VOR) and research on binocular visual angle have been studied to some extent, but unfortunately, their effects have not reached a practical level. The paper proposes a new research idea to estimate the depth of binocular gaze using a method of time series eye movement data analysis based on depth learning, and proposes a Mix-Temporal Convolutional Network (TCN) optical time series network. By combining VOR and deep learning theory, the paper has realized the current state-of-the-art technology for estimating the depth of gaze from the movement of the gaze.

Vertical dynamic visual acuity is significantly lower than horizontal dynamic visual acuity

Dynamic visual acuity (DVA) is crucial for the perception of moving objects. While traditional DVA assessment tools predominantly focus on horizontal movements, the evaluation of vertical DVA remains unstandardized. Consequently, the disparities between vertical and horizontal DVAs are yet to be thoroughly investigated. Therefore, we designed a system capable of conducting multidirectional DVA tests and eye movement measurements. During the experiments, the participants identified the gap direction of the Landolt-C ring moving either horizontally or vertically. The speed of movement decelerated from its maximum as a high-speed infrared camera captured the pupil movements of the left eye at 500 fps. We conducted tests on 15 healthy university students (aged 22.7±1.2\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$22.7\\pm 1.2$$\\end{document} years) and measured vertical and horizontal DVAs five times each. DVA was deduced from the Landolt-C ring speed with accurate gap direction responses, and eye movement was assessed based on the total gaze movement distance. The results revealed superior DVA and eye movement in the horizontal direction compared with the vertical direction (p<0.001\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$p < 0.001$$\\end{document}). This highlights the anisotropic characteristics of DVA and eye movement. The proposed system has the potential for multidirectional dynamic vision evaluation and training in clinical scenarios.

The effect of visual rivalry in peripheral head-mounted displays on mobility

Recent head-mounted displays and smart glasses use vision multiplexing, an optical approach where two or more views are superimposed on each other. In vision multiplexing, augmented information is presented over an observer’s natural field of view, providing field expansion and critical information during mobility situations like walking and driving. Yet despite its utility, vision multiplexing may produce visual rivalry, a phenomenon where perception alternates between the augmented information and the background scene for seconds at a time. To investigate, we compared the effect of different peripheral vision multiplexing configurations (unilateral opaque, unilateral see-through and bilateral see-through) on the detection of augmented information, incorporating at the same time real-world characteristics (target eccentricity, depth condition, and gaze movement) for a more realistic assessment. Results showed a persistently lower target detection rate in unilateral configurations than the bilateral configuration, suggesting a larger effect of binocular rivalry on target visibility. Nevertheless, this effect does become attenuated when more naturalistic elements are incorporated, and we discuss recommendations for vision multiplexing design and possible avenues for further research.

Unravelling the functional development of vertebrate pathways controlling gaze.

Animals constantly redirect their gaze away or towards relevant targets and, besides these goal-oriented responses, stabilizing movements clamp the visual scene avoiding image blurring. The vestibulo-ocular (VOR) and the optokinetic reflexes are the main contributors to gaze stabilization, whereas the optic tectum integrates multisensory information and generates orienting/evasive gaze movements in all vertebrates. Lampreys show a unique stepwise development of the visual system whose understanding provides important insights into the evolution and development of vertebrate vision. Although the developmental emergence of the visual components, and the retinofugal pathways have been described, the functional development of the visual system and the development of the downstream pathways controlling gaze are still unknown. Here, we show that VOR followed by light-evoked eye movements are the first to appear already in larvae, despite their burrowed lifestyle. However, the circuits controlling goal-oriented responses emerge later, in larvae in non-parasitic lampreys but during late metamorphosis in parasitic lampreys. The appearance of stabilizing responses earlier than goal-oriented in the lamprey development shows a stepwise transition from simpler to more complex visual systems, offering a unique opportunity to isolate the functioning of their underlying circuits.

Exploring the user experience of hands-free VR interaction methods during a Fitts’ task

Despite advancements in interaction with immersive Virtual Reality (VR) systems, using hand gestures for all interactions still imposes some challenges, especially in interactions with graphical user interfaces that are usually performed with point-and-click interfaces. Therefore, exploring the use of alternative hands-free methods for selection is essential to overcome usability problems and provide natural interaction for users. The results and insights gained from this exploration can lead to enhanced user experiences in VR applications. This study aims to contribute to the literature with the evaluation of the usability of the most commonly used hands-free methods for selection and system control tasks in immersive VR and their impact on standard and validated experience and usability metrics, namely the sense of presence, cybersickness, system usability, workload, and user satisfaction. A Fitts’ selection task was performed using a within-subjects design by nine participants experienced in VR. The methods evaluated were the handheld controllers, the head gaze, eye gaze, and voice commands for pointing at the targets, and dwell time and voice commands to confirm the selections. Results show that the methods provide similar levels of sense of presence and low cybersickness while showing low workload values and high user satisfaction, matching the experience of traditional handheld controllers for non-multimodal approaches. The assisted eye gaze with dwell was the preferred hands-free method and the one with the highest values of usability. Still, developers should minimize the number of gaze movements to reduce fatigue. The evaluation also showed that using a multimodal approach for selections, especially using the voice, decreases user satisfaction and increases users’ frustration.

Effects of the Specific Eye Fixation Training on Fine Visuomotor Coordination in Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

This study investigated the effects of quiet eye training (QET) on the neuropsychological functioning and fine motor performance of children with attention deficits. The participant cohort consisted of 106 children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) between the ages of 8 and 12 years. The children were assigned to either the QET group (n = 54) or the control group (n = 52). The QET group went through a 5-week intervention in which the performance of blocks of targeting tasks was preceded by watching split-screen video footage featuring the gaze and body movements of a skilled model performing a throwing motion. Both groups underwent pre-test and post-test assessments, which included the reaction test of alertness, go/no-go inhibition test, and motor performance series test. The QET group demonstrated significant improvements in attentional engagement, inhibitory control, and fine motor skills, which require precise and fast visuomotor coordination. These results highlight the potential benefits of QET intervention in ameliorating attention deficits and enhancing fine aiming motor skills in children with ADHD. However, task specificity was evident, indicating that the intervention effects were most pronounced for the hand fine motor aiming tasks requiring both precision and speed.

Embodied-Visual Practices during Conversational Repair: Scoping Review

ABSTRACT Repair organization provides a powerful mechanism for handling problems of mutual understanding in natural conversation. Our study reviews past research on repair initiation and resolution practices involving embodied-visual practices, including eye gaze, facial expressions, hand gestures, and head and body movements. We charted details of theoretical background, methodology, and main findings for 31 studies. Embodiment was studied equally in connection with self- (SIR) and other-initiated repair (OIR); gaze and gestures were the most commonly studied embodied-visual practices. In OIR sequences, research has focused on upper body and gaze. In SIR sequences, more gestures were examined, but this may be specific to word search, which was predominant in SIR studies. In addition, embodied-visual practices can form gestalts independently from talk, and can occur early in the repair sequence, even pre-trouble source. Data were in Argentine Sign Language, Cha’palaa, Danish, English, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Turkish, and Yélî Dnye.

Analyzing the Effect of Diverse Gaze and Head Direction on Facial Expression Recognition With Photo-Reflective Sensors Embedded in a Head-Mounted Display.

As one of the facial expression recognition techniques for Head-Mounted Display (HMD) users, embedded photo-reflective sensors have been used. In this paper, we investigate how gaze and face directions affect facial expression recognition using the embedded photo-reflective sensors. First, we collected a dataset of five facial expressions (Neutral, Happy, Angry, Sad, Surprised) while looking in diverse directions by moving 1) the eyes and 2) the head. Using the dataset, we analyzed the effect of gaze and face directions by constructing facial expression classifiers in five ways and evaluating the classification accuracy of each classifier. The results revealed that the single classifier that learned the data for all gaze points achieved the highest classification performance. Then, we investigated which facial part was affected by the gaze and face direction. The results showed that the gaze directions affected the upper facial parts, while the face directions affected the lower facial parts. In addition, by removing the bias of facial expression reproducibility, we investigated the pure effect of gaze and face directions in three conditions. The results showed that, in terms of gaze direction, building classifiers for each direction significantly improved the classification accuracy. However, in terms of face directions, there were slight differences between the classifier conditions. Our experimental results implied that multiple classifiers corresponding to multiple gaze and face directions improved facial expression recognition accuracy, but collecting the data of the vertical movement of gaze and face is a practical solution to improving facial expression recognition accuracy.

Gaze-probe joint guidance with multi-task learning in obstetric ultrasound scanning

In this work, we exploit multi-task learning to jointly predict the two decision-making processes of gaze movement and probe manipulation that an experienced sonographer would perform in routine obstetric scanning. A multimodal guidance framework, Multimodal-GuideNet, is proposed to detect the causal relationship between a real-world ultrasound video signal, synchronized gaze, and probe motion. The association between the multi-modality inputs is learned and shared through a modality-aware spatial graph that leverages useful cross-modal dependencies. By estimating the probability distribution of probe and gaze movements in real scans, the predicted guidance signals also allow inter- and intra-sonographer variations and avoid a fixed scanning path. We validate the new multi-modality approach on three types of obstetric scanning examinations, and the result consistently outperforms single-task learning under various guidance policies. To simulate sonographer’s attention on multi-structure images, we also explore multi-step estimation in gaze guidance, and its visual results show that the prediction allows multiple gaze centers that are substantially aligned with underlying anatomical structures.

Covert Tracking to Immersive Stimuli in Traumatic Brain Injury Subjects With Disorders of Consciousness.

Eye tracking assessments are clinician dependent and can contribute to misclassification of coma. We investigated responsiveness to videos with and without audio in traumatic brain injury (TBI) subjects using video eye-tracking (VET). We recruited 20 healthy volunteers and 10 unresponsive TBI subjects. Clinicians were surveyed whether the subject was tracking on their bedside assessment. The Coma Recovery Scale-Revised (CRS-R) was also performed. Eye movements in response to three different 30-second videos with and without sound were recorded using VET. The videos consisted of moving characters (a dancer, a person skateboarding, and Spiderman). Tracking on VET was defined as visual fixation on the character and gaze movement in the same direction of the character on two separate occasions. Subjects were classified as "covert tracking" (tracking using VET only), "overt tracking" (VET and clinical exam by clinicians), and "no tracking". A k-nearest-neighbors model was also used to identify tracking computationally. Thalamocortical connectivity and structural integrity were evaluated with EEG and MRI. The ability to obey commands was evaluated at 6- and 12-month follow-up. The average age was 29 (± 17) years old. Three subjects demonstrated "covert tracking" (CRS-R of 6, 8, 7), two "overt tracking" (CRS-R 22, 11), and five subjects "no tracking" (CRS-R 8, 6, 5, 6, 7). Among the 84 tested trials in all subjects, 11 trials (13%) met the criteria for "covert tracking". Using the k-nearest approach, 14 trials (17%) were classified as "covert tracking". Subjects with "tracking" had higher thalamocortical connectivity, and had fewer structures injured in the eye-tracking network than those without tracking. At follow-up, 2 out of 3 "covert" and all "overt" subjects recovered consciousness versus only 2 subjects in the "no tracking" group. Immersive stimuli may serve as important objective tools to differentiate subtle tracking using VET.

Identifying customer preferences through the eye-tracking in travel websites focusing on neuromarketing

ABSTRACT The psychology of people and behavior associated with decision-making can be analyzed by examining their visual attention to products based on the introduction of neuromarketing at the intersection of neuroscience and marketing. This study aims to identify factors affecting consumers’ decision-making on travel products by investigating their preferences and areas of interest via online vacation booking sites. In this experimental study, eye-tracking was measured on 30 male participants in the age of forties, and data on their gazes in response to stimuli were extracted and compared with their choices in the questionnaire survey. The study addresses the following research question: “On what areas of customer preference can visual attention be deemed an influence?” Whether changes to the visual information about spatial products influence product preferences and decision-making was investigated. As a result of analyzing the region of interest in the eye-tracking according to the order of space preference, the preference rate for image 3 (M = 782.65) containing the outdoor space was the highest, followed by furniture and web information. Regarding the initial concentration, among the flow of time, the fastest concentration started at stimuli 2 (4.21s), but the time when concentration increased was at stimuli 3 (16.28s). Visual perception data were analyzed as a verification process for determining the time difference in the concentration of gaze movements according to personal preference. The correlation between the questionnaire survey, reflecting consumers’ conscious preferences, and the data of gaze movements, showing unconscious decision-making, was analyzed.

Outlier-Robust Gaze Signal Filtering Framework Based on Eye-Movement Modality Recognition and Set-Membership Approach.

High-quality gaze signals are crucial in many biomedical fields that utilize them. However, the limited studies on gaze signal filtering can hardly address the outliers and non-Gaussian noise in gaze data simultaneously. Our objective is to design a generic filtering framework capable of reducing the noise and eliminating outliers of the gaze signal. In this study, we design an eye-movement modality-based zonotope set-membership filtering framework (EM-ZSMF) to suppress the noise and outliers of the gaze signal. This framework consists of an eye-movement modality recognition model (EG-NET), an eye-movement modality-based gaze movement model (EMGM), and a zonotope set-membership filter (ZSMF). The eye-movement modality determines the EMGM, and the ZSMF combined with the EMGM completes the filtering of the gaze signal. Moreover, this study establishes an eye-movement modality and gaze filtering dataset (ERGF) that can be utilized for the evaluation of future work integrating eye-movement modality with gaze signal filtering. The eye-movement modality recognition experiments demonstrated that our proposed EG-NET achieved the best Cohen's kappa compared with previous studies. The gaze data filtering experiments showed that the proposed EM-ZSMF reduced the gaze signal noise and eliminated outliers effectively, and achieved the best performance (RMSEs and RMS) compared with previous methods. The proposed EM-ZSMF effectively recognizes eye-movement modalities, reduces gaze signal noise and, eliminates outliers. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first attempt to simultaneously solve the problem of non-Gaussian noise and outliers in gaze signals. The proposed framework has the potential for application in any eye image-based eye trackers and contributes to the development of eye-tracking technology.

Importance of head movements in gaze tracking during table tennis forehand stroke

The purpose of this study was to clarify the properties of gaze and head movements during forehand stroke in table tennis. Collegiate table tennis players (n = 12) conducted forehand strokes toward a ball launched by a skilled experimenter. A total of ten trials were conducted for the experimental task. Horizontal and vertical movements of the ball, gaze, head and eye were analyzed from the image recorded by an eye tracking device. The results showed that participants did not always keep their gaze and head position on the ball throughout the entire ball path. Our results indicate that table tennis players tend to gaze at the ball in the initial ball-tracking phase. Furthermore, there was a significant negative correlation between eye and head position especially in the vertical direction. This result suggests that horizontal VOR is suppressed more than vertical VOR in ball-tracking during table tennis forehand stroke. Finally, multiple regression analysis showed that the effect of head position to gaze position was significantly higher than that of eye position. This result indicates that gaze position during forehand stroke could be associated with head position rather than eye position. Taken together, head movements may play an important role in maintaining the ball in a constant egocentric direction in table tennis forehand stroke.

Gaze movement analysis examined how people view and interact with health information on Facebook pages.

Gaze movement analysis is a human-computer interaction analysis method to assess time and viewing patterns of screen pages. This study examines Facebook users' health information viewing patterns and identifies social media interface factors that affect users' health information behaviour on Facebook. The findings of this study should help researchers and health information providers understand how Facebook is used, and how users might be appraising information viewed. This study investigated gaze movement data collected from 48 participants while participants were viewing Facebook pages that presented health-related posts. Each session was designed to represent four health information sources and four health topics. Each session included an exit interview for a better interpretation of data. Participants spent the most time viewing the content of the posts, particularly post images. Findings revealed that users' viewing patterns differed when different health topics were presented, but not according to the type of information provider. However, the study showed that users check the Facebook page's banner to verify the health information provider's identity. This study indicates what health information consumers look for on Facebook when finding, appraising, and reacting to, or sharing health-related content.

TEACHER’S GAZE BLIND SPOT IN SCIENCE LECTURE CLASS

The teacher's gaze attention can trigger interaction with the student. So if the teacher fails to equal attention during class, students may be alienated from the interaction. According to this perspective, this study aimed to establish the pattern of the teacher's gaze during science lecture classes and whether the change of the gaze when the student's seat as an external factor changed. Eye tracking was conducted on six teachers during class, and the teacher's gaze fixation and movement were also analyzed after changing the student seat. According to the results, teachers mainly focused on the center of student seats, and the gaze blind spot was mainly biased forward. Even if the student's seat was changed, the gaze was focused on the center of the classroom, and the gaze blind spot differs within the individual, and the teacher tends to be unaware of it himself. Consequently, the teacher's gaze concentration pattern is generally similar, but the gaze blind spot varies depending on the teacher and can be affected by external factors. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a system and retrain program for diagnosis and feedback of teachers' attention to provide proper and high-quality education to students. Keywords: science class; science teacher; blind spot; eye tracking; gaze attention; teaching behavior

A novel tablet-based software for the acquisition and analysis of gaze and eye movement parameters: a preliminary validation study in Parkinson's disease.

The idea that eye movements can reflect certain aspects of brain function and inform on the presence of neurodegeneration is not a new one. Indeed, a growing body of research has shown that several neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Disease, present characteristic eye movement anomalies and that specific gaze and eye movement parameters correlate with disease severity. The use of detailed eye movement recordings in research and clinical settings, however, has been limited due to the expensive nature and limited scalability of the required equipment. Here we test a novel technology that can track and measure eye movement parameters using the embedded camera of a mobile tablet. We show that using this technology can replicate several well-known findings regarding oculomotor anomalies in Parkinson's disease (PD), and furthermore show that several parameters significantly correlate with disease severity as assessed with the MDS-UPDRS motor subscale. A logistic regression classifier was able to accurately distinguish PD patients from healthy controls on the basis of six eye movement parameters with a sensitivity of 0.93 and specificity of 0.86. This tablet-based tool has the potential to accelerate eye movement research via affordable and scalable eye-tracking and aid with the identification of disease status and monitoring of disease progression in clinical settings.

Is your mouse attracted by your eyes: Non-intrusive stress detection in off-the-shelf desktop environments

Increasing number of people work long hours with computers under high cognitive load. This could potentially cause mental stress in workplaces. Prolonged exposure to mental stress contributes to poor working experience and even severe health problems. Despite the growing demand, the existing intelligent stress detection methods are limited when applied to actual workplaces. They often measure physiological and physical signals, via intrusive devices, to detect stress. The intrusiveness hampers their accessibility and applicability in daily life and workplaces. To overcome that, behavior-based methods were proposed. Models that explore mouse and gaze behaviors during computer usages were demonstrated to be particularly effective. However, the current methods rely on using prior knowledge of the user interface (UI) layout to construct models. Their applicability thus is limited, especially in real workplaces where task UI is often dynamic. This paper presents a novel stress detection method to address the challenges. It attains non-intrusiveness and UI-agnostic by modeling the relative movement and coordination of mouse and gaze. The method is evaluated on a dynamic-UI task, namely, web searching. An accuracy of 78.8% is achieved using a commercial eye-tracker for gaze estimation, beating the state-of-the-art approaches by around 20%. We further use webcam to estimate gaze locations substituting for the eye-tracker, to enhance the model accessibility. The method yields 68.6% accuracy of stress detection without using any special devices. Experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness and applicability of our method. It opens up a new avenue for cognitive-aware adaptive user interface, intelligent working environment, and related applications.