The EyeTracking Blog

Eye tracking is certainly on the rise. There are more businesses, universities and government agencies using this technology now than ever before. To keep pace with demand, new eye tracking hardware systems are being released all the time. So how do you decide which one is the right one for your research? It's not as if you can walk into Best Buy and ask the guy in the blue shirt which eye tracker you should purchase… not yet anyway.

At EyeTracking, Inc. we've used every type of eye tracker in just about every research environment, from the usability lab to the grocery store, from the cockpit to the operating room. After over a decade of work with dozens of eye tracking systems, we've learned a thing or two about choosing the tool best-suited to each of our projects. For those of you considering the purchase of an eye tracker, here are a few questions that we recommend that...

There's a lot to like about EyeWorks™. Its unique brand of flexible efficacy makes it an ideal software solution for eye tracking professionals in a variety of academic, applied and marketing fields. To put it simply, EyeWorks™ IS the collective expertise of EyeTracking, Inc., refined and packaged for researchers everywhere. In the coming months we will highlight a few unique features of EyeWorks™ in the EyeTracking Blog.

Multi-System Compatibility

Would you use the same equipment to evaluate the cognitive workload of a pilot in the cockpit as you would to study the eye movements of a shopper scanning a supermarket shelf? Neither would we. Because of the diversity of research conducted at EyeTracking, Inc., multi-system compatibility is a must. In one study we might need a remote system with scene camera mode and excellent gaze data accuracy; in another we may require...

Over the past hundred years or so, the word "promising" has been employed quite often to describe eye tracking technology - from the very first noninvasive eye data collection by Dodge and Cline in 1901, through Fitts' work with pilots in the 40s and 50s, right up to modern day uses in a diverse array of applied and research fields. Indeed, it is a promising technology. Absolutely, unquestionably, indubitably, there is great promise in the precise evaluation of visual behavior.

However, as noted by Jacob and Karn (2003), to be described as "promising" for such a lengthy interval is a dubious distinction. On one hand eye tracking must really hold promise or else it would have been discarded long ago. On the other hand, it raises a difficult question: when will this long-heralded promise finally be fulfilled?

I've worked in the industry for roughly seven years, and I...

By far the most common question that we hear from potential clients is this: ‘Can I conduct my eye tracking research internally, or should I enlist the services of an expert?’ It’s an excellent starting point, but the answer that you receive will most likely depend on who you ask. Sellers of eye tracking systems will probably advise you to purchase the equipment yourself, whereas sellers of eye tracking services might steer you toward one of their external solutions. This can make the decision rather difficult. Fortunately, we at EyeTracking, Inc. offer systems AND services. It doesn’t matter to us which direction you choose, so we’re able to give you an objective recommendation based on our substantial experience within the industry. Here’s a basic overview of the pros and cons of each approach.

The benefits of in-house eye tracking are obvious. You own the hardware and software to design your studies, record your data and analyze your results. Recent advances in flexibility and portability allow you to...