Tobii TX300 Eye Tracker Detects Blinks Even When You Move Your Head

I'm not sure just how many of you are familiar with Tobii's eye-tracking technologies, but since we've managed to check out their ongoing development ever since CeBIT 2008, we can really tell you that Tobii's managed to come a long way in enhancing the level of performance their tracking and control technologies are capable of providing.

And now, to take things even further, Tobii announced its Tobii TX300 Eye Tracker, described as the first higher-frequency eye-tracking hardware that allows research subjects the freedom of head movement, which helps scientists create more realistic testing environments for detailed and efficient research of natural behavior and higher definition samplings at 300 hertz.

Expected to be available in early 2011, the Tobii TX300 includes an eye-tracking unit and a monitor, and offers both on-screen and real-world stimuli setup options.

The setup is easy to change, giving users more flexibility and variety in the research scenarios they configure (for example, the eye-tracker can be used with a screen in one study and then be used as a standalone eye tracker to project stimuli on any flat surface in the next.

The new Tobii TX300 is designed for studies that require higher data frequency, the new product making it possible to eye movements such as blinks, pupil size changes, short fixations, saccades and many others without requiring participants to hold their heads still by using headrests.

Specific areas of study that will benefit greatly from this new technology include neuroscience studies, especially those combining eye tracking and EEG data, psychology studies, especially developmental psychology and psycholinguistics, reading studies, children and infant studies and ophthalmology studies.

“A normal person’s eyes move quite a bit, even during periods of concentration.”

“This has always made it more difficult for scientists and researchers to gather viable samples at high speeds in normal settings,” said Tom Englund, executive vice president of Analysis Solutions, Tobii Technology AB.

“With our Tobii TX300, this barrier is now removed.”

“Our hope is that this technology will give scientists a more powerful tool for behavioral research as well as for the studies of eye movements.”

“With the TX300, scientists will be able to realize new types of research,” concluded Mr.Englund.