Tobii Rolls Out New Webcam-based Eye Tracking Tech

Swedish firm Tobii has launched a new webcam-based eye tracking solution for research, which it says will help researchers reach broader and more diverse participant groups by removing the need for specialist hardware.

Tobii creates technology for companies, universities and research institutes, for applications in healthcare, education and training, gaming, extended reality and automotive. In December 2023 it announced a radical refocusing of its business with the acquisition of vehicle interior sensing firm AutoSense, adding c.250 full-time staff and forming a new segment within the Tobii Group.

The new solution, built on Tobii's Nexus technology, allows researchers to launch studies online and collect gaze data from participants' own computers. In addition to simplifying the process, this adds quality because respondents are in more natural, real-world environments.

'Webcam eye tracking for research broadens our product portfolio towards the scientific community,' says Gunnar Troili (pictured), SVP Products and Solutions, 'by offering them a simple way to conduct remote studies in research fields where our high performing hardware-based eye trackers are not necessary for sufficient data quality. All while preserving the core principles of eye tracking research: structured study design, controlled data collection, and systematic analysis.'

The tech has been validated by researchers at Uppsala University in Sweden, and shown to perform well for a number of scenarios using Areas of interest (AOI)-based attention measures, such as preferential-looking tasks. Kim Astor, from the University's Department of Psychology says the researchers were 'surprised by how well Tobii Nexus performed right out of the box.'

Initially, the product will be available as a distributed online research tool for remote studies, but the firm promises a local research version for controlled studies on-site, later in the year.

Web site: www.tobii.com .