Eye movement tracking

We make between 4 and 5 eye movements every second. Yet the amount of visual information we can take in with our eyes is limited.

Tracking and analysing eye movements can give insights into how people tackle a variety of tasks. Crucially, eye movements can help us understand where people fall into difficulties in those tasks.

We have worked with a number of organisations, heping them to better understand what people are doing and how to improve performance in the real world.  For example, we have explored the process of threat detection in the context of airport security. We are also seeking better understanding of the reading process for people with dyslexia.

For data-gathering, the equipment generally used is from the following:

Eyelink 1000

• High accuracy (spatial and temporal)
• Desk-mounted, so not normally very mobile
• One of the best and most widely used by researchers today, for an immense variety of tasks

Perambulatory

• Housed in a set of spectacles and worn on a backpack
• Lower spatial and temporal accuracy than the Eyelink, but has the benefit of being able to move with the wearer’s head.
• Best used in dynamic, real-world tasks

Mobile Research Unit

We have a customised Mobile Research Unit (Laboratory) which can be used to transport the Eyelink and perambulatory trackers to wherever they are needed. This provides the best of all worlds for examining eye movements.

For more information, contact Dr Hayward Godwin.