Comparing Eye Tracking and Head Tracking During a Visual Attention Task in Immersive Virtual Reality

Fixation identification is an essential task in the extraction of relevant information from gaze patterns; various algorithms are used in the identification process. However, the thresholds used in the algorithms greatly affect their sensitivity. Moreover, the application of these algorithm to eye-tracking technologies integrated into head-mounted displays, where the subject’s head position is unrestricted, is still an open issue. Therefore, the adaptation of eye-tracking algorithms and their thresholds to immersive virtual reality frameworks needs to be validated. This study presents the development of a dispersion-threshold identification algorithm applied to data obtained from an eye-tracking system integrated into a head-mounted display. Rules-based criteria are proposed to calibrate the thresholds of the algorithm through different features, such as number of fixations and the percentage of points which belong to a fixation. The results show that distance-dispersion thresholds between 1–1.6° and time windows between 0.25–0.4 s are the acceptable range parameters, with 1° and 0.25 s being the optimum. The work presents a calibrated algorithm to be applied in future experiments with eye-tracking integrated into head-mounted displays and guidelines for calibrating fixation identification algorithms

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Assessing visual attention in virtual reality: Automatic one-point calibration for eye-tracking

2017 International Conference on Virtual Rehabilitation (ICVR) ◽

10.1109/icvr.2017.8007455 ◽

2017 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Otto Hans-Martin Lutz ◽

Jorg Kruger

Keyword(s):

Virtual Reality ◽

Visual Attention ◽

Eye Tracking

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Application of head-mounted devices with eye-tracking in virtual reality therapy

Current Directions in Biomedical Engineering ◽

10.1515/cdbme-2017-0012 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 3 (1) ◽

pp. 53-56 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Otto Hans-Martin Lutz ◽

Charlotte Burmeister ◽

Luara Ferreira dos Santos ◽

Nadine Morkisch ◽

Christian Dohle ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Virtual Reality ◽

Visual Attention ◽

Eye Tracking ◽

Real Time ◽

Reality Therapy ◽

Clinical Environment ◽

Motor Impairments ◽

Preliminary Results ◽

Virtual Reality Therapy ◽

New Therapy

Abstract:Using eye-tracking to assess visual attention in head-mounted devices (HMD) opens up many possibilities for virtual reality (VR)-based therapy. Existing therapy concepts where attention plays a major role can be transferred to VR. Furthermore, they can be expanded to a precise real-time attention assessment, which can serve as a foundation for new therapy approaches. Utilizing HMDs and eye-tracking in a clinical environment is challenging because of hygiene issues and requirements of patients with heterogeneous cognitive and motor impairments. In this paper, we provide an overview of those challenges, discuss possible solutions and present preliminary results of a study with patients.

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Investigating the redundancy principle in immersive virtual reality environments: An eye‐tracking and EEG study

Journal of Computer Assisted Learning ◽

10.1111/jcal.12595 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Sarune Baceviciute ◽

Gordon Lucas ◽

Thomas Terkildsen ◽

Guido Makransky

Keyword(s):

Virtual Reality ◽

Eye Tracking ◽

Immersive Virtual Reality

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Combining Virtual Reality Advertising and Eye Tracking to Understand Visual Attention: A Pilot Study

2019 8th International Congress on Advanced Applied Informatics (IIAI-AAI) ◽

10.1109/iiai-aai.2019.00041 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Chun-Chia Wang ◽

Shih-Cheng Wang ◽

Chiung-Pei Chu

Keyword(s):

Virtual Reality ◽

Pilot Study ◽

Visual Attention ◽

Eye Tracking

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Feasibility of Using an Augmented Immersive Virtual Reality Learning Environment to Enhance Music Conducting Skills

Journal of Music Teacher Education ◽

10.1177/1057083717697962 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 27 (1) ◽

pp. 24-35 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Evelyn K. Orman ◽

Harry E. Price ◽

Christine R. Russell

Keyword(s):

Virtual Reality ◽

Learning Environment ◽

Learning Environments ◽

Feasibility Study ◽

Wind Band ◽

Eye Contact ◽

Head Tracking ◽

Immersive Virtual Reality ◽

Skill Improvement ◽

Nonverbal Skills

Acquiring nonverbal skills necessary to appropriately communicate and educate members of performing ensembles is essential for wind band conductors. Virtual reality learning environments (VRLEs) provide a unique setting for developing these proficiencies. For this feasibility study, we used an augmented immersive VRLE to enhance eye contact, torso movement, and gestures of novice wind band conductors. Ten undergraduates randomly assigned to no VRLE ( n = 3), VRLE with head tracking ( n = 4), or VRLE without ( n = 3) head tracking received eight treatment sessions over a 4-week period. While participants conducted a live ensemble, their eye contact, torso movements, and gestures were measured. A comparison of pretest and posttest scores showed that students using the augmented immersive VRLE with head tracking demonstrated greater conducting skill improvement than those not using virtual reality.

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Ecological Validity of Immersive Virtual Reality (IVR) Techniques for the Perception of Urban Sound Environments

Acoustics ◽

10.3390/acoustics3010003 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 3 (1) ◽

pp. 11-24

Author(s):

Chunyang Xu ◽

Tin Oberman ◽

Francesco Aletta ◽

Huan Tong ◽

Jian Kang

Keyword(s):

Virtual Reality ◽

Ecological Validity ◽

Evaluation Framework ◽

Head Tracking ◽

Immersive Virtual Reality ◽

Subjective Response ◽

Evaluation Approach ◽

Reproduction System ◽

Noise Assessment ◽

Virtual Experiences

Immersive Virtual Reality (IVR) is a simulated technology used to deliver multisensory information to people under different environmental conditions. When IVR is generally applied in urban planning and soundscape research, it reveals attractive possibilities for the assessment of urban sound environments with higher immersion for human participation. In virtual sound environments, various topics and measures are designed to collect subjective responses from participants under simulated laboratory conditions. Soundscape or noise assessment studies during virtual experiences adopt an evaluation approach similar to in situ methods. This paper aims to review the approaches that are utilized to assess the ecological validity of IVR for the perception of urban sound environments and the necessary technologies during audio–visual reproduction to establish a dynamic IVR experience that ensures ecological validity. The review shows that, through the use of laboratory tests including subjective response surveys, cognitive performance tests and physiological responses, the ecological validity of IVR can be assessed for the perception of urban sound environments. The reproduction system with head-tracking functions synchronizing spatial audio and visual stimuli (e.g., head-mounted displays (HMDs) with first-order Ambisonics (FOA)-tracked binaural playback) represents the prevailing trend to achieve high ecological validity. These studies potentially contribute to the outcomes of a normalized evaluation framework for subjective soundscape and noise assessments in virtual environments.

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