Tobii EyeChip Eye Tracking Technology For HTC Vive at GDC 2017

Swedish company Tobii eye tracking technology EyeChip on GDC2017 that demonstrates fully integrated eye tracking sensor for HTC Vive.

EyeChip, Tobii EyeChip Eye Tracking Technology For HTC Vive at GDC 2017, Optocrypto
Tobii EyeChip showcases the integrated eye tracking HTC Vive

According to VR Science and Technology Network, Tobii this time shows integrated eye tracking technology. That is the first significant use of its proprietary EyeChip. Chip installed  at the rear of the lens of Vive in order to track the user’s eyes. The EyeChip is a dedicated ASIC, you can handle the sensor data to reduce the PC host CPU load. And reduce the power consumption of peripherals. EyeChip has been used in Tobii Eye Tracker 4C (Tobii latest generation of products).

EyeChip, Tobii EyeChip Eye Tracking Technology For HTC Vive at GDC 2017, Optocrypto

In terms of applications, Tobii offers several demonstrations to show how the integrated eye tracking technology improves the user experience. After the first presentation, I feel the most obvious advantage is that you can naturally focus. So that users can watch through to aim, pick and throw virtual objects and performs other operations.

EyeChip Tracking Technology Electronics

In addition, the eye interaction is the basic social element. Through the eyes we can express a lot of different emotions. So if the VR head is with the eye tracking technology, there is no doubt on advancements in the VR social interactions.

And now here the Tobii provides us the demo, let me see the application of eye tracking virtual avatar. During the demonstration, my eyeball (including the direction of gaze and blink). The system can accurately capture and present to my virtual body with almost no delay.

For another interaction with the NPC demo. If I look at a pair of robots, the robot have the attention to my body to perform my assigned tasks. When I look at one of the robots, the two robots have different interactions, a robot gives me money. And the other will sell me a variety of virtual items, such as rubber ducks, beach balls and sand barrels and so on.

Tobii reveal on GDC 2017 that it will bring an integrated eye tracking solution designed to attract the attention of brainstorming developers. Although Tobii and partners have now successfully integrated the eye tracking to HTC Vive. Tobii plans to introduce the eye tracking sensor EyeChip in the next generation of mainstream VR heads.