Head Tracking with the Eye-Com EC7T™

As can be presumed from our name, the focus of Eye-Com Corporation’s research and development is centered on eye-based communication, which we accomplish through advanced eye tracking technology. However, one of the most robust features of the Eye-Com EC7T™ eye tracking system is actually its incorporated head tracking functionality. This feature is not only capable of independent head movement-based controls, but can also be integrated with the eye tracking function of the EC7T™ for combined head and eye mouse emulation. Eventually true gaze tracking capabilities will be possible, combining both pupil and head position coordinates to determine precise gaze location.

So, what exactly is head tracking? Head tracking detects the angle and orientation of wearer’s head relative to a digital screen using a camera and one or more reference points. It can be used to adjust the viewing angle of an image on a screen as it appears from the wearer’s perspective. This permits the user to move his head, typically with 6 Degrees of Freedom, to look around the virtual reality environment presented on the screen. To the wearer, the screen becomes a like a window to a 3D world and the image view corresponds to his angle-of-look as he moves his head.

The Eye-Com EC7T™ head tracking has an externally facing microcamera in the center of the wearable eyeframes and uses monitor mounted LEDs as reference points to determine the wearer’s head position. The head tracking function can be used to control the computer cursor on the screen with head movement. Either dwell time clicking (clicking on an icon by staring at it for a specified amount of time) or blink clicking (clicking on an icon by blinking once the cursor has been centered over it) through eye tracking can be used in combination with the head controlled mouse.

The powerful combination of eye tracking and head tracking with EC7T™ makes it a versatile device with diverse functionality.

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