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Eye-Based Videogame Control

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the i-can-see-you dept.

dsmith3689 writes "Researchers at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario have explored the use of an eye tracker as a control device for a handful of commercial video games. To do this, they integrated a Tobii 1750 desktop eye tracker with Quake 2, Neverwinter Nights, and a flash adaptation of Missile Command called Lunar Command. A study was performed that indicates the use of direct feedback from eye movements can drastically increase the feeling of immersion (pdf) in the virtual world."

4 of 42 comments (clear)

  1. Cool idea; looks like it still needs work by StupidKatz · · Score: 2, Insightful

    ... or a new interface to software/games to compensate for the apparent lack of accuracy and speed (note the Quake 2 demo video), at least in FPS-style games.

    Could absolutely rock if tweaked minutely for flight and other simulation games, though. :)

  2. Why BB2B2B2BB2B sites use "call for price" by tepples · · Score: 2, Insightful
    Then you discover there's no "Buy Now" button. There's no shopping cart. There's just a Contact tab with a form for you to submit your details. Like you've got to beg to buy their product.

    At least in the industrial fan market, the requirement to request a quote is so that larger companies who make competing products can't spider your site and undercut all your prices due to their larger materials buying power. It's actually a rawther common practice in business-to-business markets.

  3. Re:Tobii: Put prices on your web site! by SQLGuru · · Score: 2, Insightful

    A cheap web cam: http://insidecomputer.stores.yahoo.net/usbwebcamwe p.html $7
    This book: http://www.nerdbooks.com/item.php?id=1852336668 $45
    GCC compiler: http://gcc.gnu.org/ $0
    A lot of time: http://www.time.org/ $0
    ----------------------
    $52 + tax, shipping, etc.

    And there you go.

    Or just go here: http://www.it4tomorrow.de/shop/index.php?lang=ENG& list=KAT14
    Or read this: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/04/06040 4091149.htm
    Which will lead you here: http://www.cogain.org/
    Which will lead you here: http://www.inference.phy.cam.ac.uk/dasher/developm ent/

    Now, from there, I'm stuck. I can't find any more information on the OWL. But it was invented in 1987 and could be mass produced for around $10 (according to the link), so I see potential there.

    Layne

  4. Re:Tobii: Put prices on your web site! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

    Webcams have improved much lately, but I doubt they're good enough yet, also, they might not capture the best wavelengths.
      Maybe this system uses mid IR ('heat vision'), like I think TIR does. Eyes are hotter than the rest of your body, which means at the right wavelengths, the contrast is high.
      Another thing to keep in mind, are the almighty fps, webcams with output like in Hackers would be awful, you need a higher refresh frequency for a controller than you need to have 'nice video'.
      So yes, you do need special hardware, although the software would not be an issue if the hardware became available.