Eyetracking and Neuroscience Launches

Stockholm-based Tobii Technology has launched a new product which will allow its clients to run eye-tracking experiments directly from MATLAB, the widely used MathWorks research software. Separately, neuroengineer Emotiv has announced a new headset with potential research uses.

The Tobii Toolbox for MATLAB provides an interface between MATLAB and Tobii Eye Trackers via the Tobii Software Development Kit in a Windows environment. Clients can use a Visual C++ based graphical interface to check subjects' track status, calibrate and collect gaze data (i.e., the starting and stopping of recordings), and synchronize events with gaze data within MATLAB.

Tobii's EVP of Analysis Solutions Tom Englund comments: 'As MATLAB is one of the most widely used software programs among researchers, the Tobii Toolbox will provide greater flexibility to eye-tracking researchers and enable new types of eye-tracking experiments.' Barbara Barclay, General Manager of Tobii North America, adds: 'The launch of this toolbox for MATLAB is a great example of Tobii's commitment to delivering innovations that further enable our customers' work with eye-tracking technology. Whether we're developing the software or hardware ourselves, or leveraging others' best-in-class products, our goal is always to add more value to the ways customers across a wide array of fields, disciplines and organizations are able use eye tracking to enhance their research.'

Tobii's products are widely used within the scientific community and as a communications aid by disabled people, in addition to commercial market research and usability studies. In June, the firm launched Tobii Glasses™, which the firm says look and feel like modern eyewear, allowing subjects to walk around freely collect eyetracking data in 'mobile, natural settings'.

Founded in 2001, Tobii is based in Stockholm, Sweden, with offices in the US, Germany, Norway, Japan and China and a web site at www.tobii.com .


Separately, neuroengineering company Emotiv has unveiled the EPOC consumer wireless headset, which promises to take gaming to a new level by recognising up to 13 different thought-based 'commands' using EEG sensors. In addition to the action-related thought patterns - essentially left/right, push/pull, lift/drop, rotate (6 ways) and vanish, the technology also spots certain facial expressions and emotions. Brain wave data from 14 independent sensors on the headset is transmitted to a USB wireless dongle using 2.4GHz transceivers from Nordic Semiconductor.

The headset also incorporates flexible arms that expand to ensure the sensors reliably track the movement of the skull - including chewing, talking and sneezing- for all shapes and sizes of head. According to Geoff Mackellar, Research Manager and CTO at Emotiv, 'What all this means is that gamers can now interact with the virtual world by the power of thought alone'.

Potential applications already under investigation include interactive television, computing, accessibility design, psychology, medicine, robotics, and of course market research. Emotiv says developers and researchers in over 70 countries are already working with the technology.
Web sites: www.emotiv.com and www.nordicsemi.com .

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.

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