How Scientists Use Webcams to Track Human Gaze

Abstract

Eye tracking is a technology that can record people’s eye movements and tell scientists what people look at on screens or out in the world. Scientists use eye tracking to understand what people notice or remember; marketing researchers who create ads use eye tracking to see what type of ads or products capture people’s attention; and video game designers use eye tracking to see what parts of a game are confusing to players, so designers can fix the game. Eye-tracking equipment can be expensive and time consuming for researchers to use, so is there another way to record eye movements without buying an eye tracker? There is! Computer scientists can use a computer-based method called machine learning to turn an everyday webcam into an eye tracker. They can even do this with mobile phones! In this article, you will learn about how eye trackers work and the advantages of disadvantages of using webcams to track eyes.