Modular Streaming Pipeline of Eye/Head Tracking Data Using Tobii Pro Glasses 3

Abstract

AbstractHead-mounted tools for eye/head tracking are increasingly used for assessment of visual behavior in navigation, sports, sociology, and neuroeconomics. Here we introduce an open-source python software (TP3Py) for collection and analysis of portable eye/head tracking signals using Tobii Pro Glasses 3. TP3Py’s modular pipeline provides a platform for incorporating user-oriented functionalities and comprehensive data acquisition to accelerate the development in behavioral and tracking research. Tobii Pro Glasses 3 is equipped with embedded cameras viewing the visual scene and the eyes, inertial measurement unit (IMU) sensors, and video-based eye tracker implemented in the accompanying unit. The program establishes a wireless connection to the glasses and, within separate threads, continuously leverages the received data in numerical or string formats accessible for saving, processing, and graphical purposes. Built-in modules for presenting eye, scene, and IMU data to the experimenter have been adapted as well as communicating modules for sending the raw signals to stimulus/task controllers in live fashion. Closed-loop experimental designs are limited due to the 140ms time delay of the system, but this limitation is compensated by the portability of the eye/head tracking. An offline data viewer has been also incorporated to allow more time-consuming computations. Lastly, we demonstrate example recordings involving vestibulo-ocular reflexes, saccadic eye movements, optokinetic responses, or vergence eye movements to highlight the program’s measurement capabilities to address various experimental goals. TP3Py has been tested on Windows with Intel processors, and Ubuntu operating systems with Intel or ARM (Raspberry Pie) architectures.