The use of INTER-EYE for 3D eye-tracking systematic error compensation

One of the most popular techniques for eye-gaze tracking is pupil-corneal reflection (PCR). It is a low-cost and non-invasive approach, which consists of infrared lights to illuminate the user's eye and a camera for capturing the resulting images. The major problems of this technology are repeatability errors and the lack of accuracy. In this paper, we propose the use of an interactive method for reducing the systematic effects of PCR devices and we evaluate how this method affects the selection of a point in a 3D scenario acquired through the use of a Microsoft Kinect. Results show that, on a 17-inch screen with a resolution of 1280×1024 pixels, the systematic effects can be reduced from 100 to approximately 15 pixels and that the uncertainty also decreases in the 3D case. This could be a good starting point for using PCR technology in applications where the accurate estimate of a certain position, also in 3D, is fundamental.