research-article

Eye Tracking Interaction on Unmodified Mobile VR Headsets Using the Selfie Camera

Authors:

Panagiotis Drakopoulos,

George-alex Koulieris,

Katerina ManiaAuthors Info & Claims

ACM Transactions on Applied Perception (TAP), Volume 18, Issue 3

Article No.: 11, Pages 1 - 20

https://doi.org/10.1145/3456875

Published: 20 May 2021 Publication History

Abstract

Input methods for interaction in smartphone-based virtual and mixed reality (VR/MR) are currently based on uncomfortable head tracking controlling a pointer on the screen. User fixations are a fast and natural input method for VR/MR interaction. Previously, eye tracking in mobile VR suffered from low accuracy, long processing time, and the need for hardware add-ons such as anti-reflective lens coating and infrared emitters. We present an innovative mobile VR eye tracking methodology utilizing only the eye images from the front-facing (selfie) camera through the headset’s lens, without any modifications. Our system first enhances the low-contrast, poorly lit eye images by applying a pipeline of customised low-level image enhancements suppressing obtrusive lens reflections. We then propose an iris region-of-interest detection algorithm that is run only once. This increases the iris tracking speed by reducing the iris search space in mobile devices. We iteratively fit a customised geometric model to the iris to refine its coordinates. We display a thin bezel of light at the top edge of the screen for constant illumination. A confidence metric calculates the probability of successful iris detection. Calibration and linear gaze mapping between the estimated iris centroid and physical pixels on the screen results in low latency, real-time iris tracking. A formal study confirmed that our system’s accuracy is similar to eye trackers in commercial VR headsets in the central part of the headset’s field-of-view. In a VR game, gaze-driven user completion time was as fast as with head-tracked interaction, without the need for consecutive head motions. In a VR panorama viewer, users could successfully switch between panoramas using gaze.

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Cited By

Liu JChi JYang Z(2024)A review on personal calibration issues for video-oculographic-based gaze trackingFrontiers in Psychology10.3389/fpsyg.2024.130904715Online publication date: 20-Mar-2024
https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1309047
Khaleel AAbbas TSami Ibrahim A(2024)Best low-cost methods for real-time detection of the eye and gaze trackingi-com10.1515/icom-2023-002623:1(79-94)Online publication date: 8-Jan-2024
https://doi.org/10.1515/icom-2023-0026
Grinyer KTeather R(2024)Improving Inclusion of Virtual Reality Through Enhancing Interactions in Low-Fidelity VR2024 IEEE Conference on Virtual Reality and 3D User Interfaces Abstracts and Workshops (VRW)10.1109/VRW62533.2024.00061(305-310)Online publication date: 16-Mar-2024
https://doi.org/10.1109/VRW62533.2024.00061
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Index Terms

Eye Tracking Interaction on Unmodified Mobile VR Headsets Using the Selfie Camera
1. Computing methodologies
  1. Computer graphics
    1. Graphics systems and interfaces
      1. Virtual reality

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Published In

cover image ACM Transactions on Applied Perception

ACM Transactions on Applied Perception Volume 18, Issue 3

July 2021

148 pages

ISSN:1544-3558

EISSN:1544-3965

DOI:10.1145/3467015

Editors:
Martin Giese
University of Tübingen, Germany
,
Victoria Interrante
University of Minnesota, USA

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Copyright © 2021 ACM.

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Publication History

Published: 20 May 2021

Accepted: 01 February 2021

Revised: 01 February 2021

Received: 01 July 2020

Published in TAP Volume 18, Issue 3

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Cited By

Liu JChi JYang Z(2024)A review on personal calibration issues for video-oculographic-based gaze trackingFrontiers in Psychology10.3389/fpsyg.2024.130904715Online publication date: 20-Mar-2024
https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1309047
Khaleel AAbbas TSami Ibrahim A(2024)Best low-cost methods for real-time detection of the eye and gaze trackingi-com10.1515/icom-2023-002623:1(79-94)Online publication date: 8-Jan-2024
https://doi.org/10.1515/icom-2023-0026
Grinyer KTeather R(2024)Improving Inclusion of Virtual Reality Through Enhancing Interactions in Low-Fidelity VR2024 IEEE Conference on Virtual Reality and 3D User Interfaces Abstracts and Workshops (VRW)10.1109/VRW62533.2024.00061(305-310)Online publication date: 16-Mar-2024
https://doi.org/10.1109/VRW62533.2024.00061
Jo HPark D(2024)Exploring loyalty drivers for smartphone and mobile carriersHumanities and Social Sciences Communications10.1057/s41599-024-03371-011:1Online publication date: 29-Jun-2024
https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-024-03371-0
Marín-Lora CChover MMartín MGarcía-Rytman L(2024)Comparative study of interaction methods for mobile gaming while running on a treadmillComputers and Graphics10.1016/j.cag.2023.10.020117:C(164-171)Online publication date: 4-Mar-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1016/j.cag.2023.10.020
Moreno-Arjonilla JLópez-Ruiz AJiménez-Pérez JCallejas-Aguilera JJurado J(2024)Eye-tracking on virtual reality: a surveyVirtual Reality10.1007/s10055-023-00903-y28:1Online publication date: 5-Feb-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1007/s10055-023-00903-y
Yeh CShen WChi HLin CChen J(2023)Enhancing Online Learning Monitoring with Novel Image Recognition Method Using Dlib for Eye Feature Detection2023 12th International Conference on Awareness Science and Technology (iCAST)10.1109/iCAST57874.2023.10359300(340-345)Online publication date: 9-Nov-2023
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Chalimas TMania K(2023)Cross-Device Augmented Reality Systems for Fire and Rescue based on Thermal Imaging and Live Tracking2023 IEEE International Symposium on Mixed and Augmented Reality Adjunct (ISMAR-Adjunct)10.1109/ISMAR-Adjunct60411.2023.00018(50-54)Online publication date: 16-Oct-2023
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Satriawan AHermawan ALuckyarno YYun J(2023)Predicting Future Eye Gaze Using Inertial SensorsIEEE Access10.1109/ACCESS.2023.329241111(67482-67497)Online publication date: 2023
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Liu JWu JYang HChi J(2023)An Improved Cross-Ratio Based Gaze Estimation Method Using Weighted Average and Polynomial CompensationIEEE Access10.1109/ACCESS.2023.323412011(2410-2423)Online publication date: 2023
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