Oogtracking

Oogtracking, or eye tracking, is the measurement of where and how a person’s eyes move. It is used to infer visual attention, inspection strategies, reading behavior and cognitive load. Modern eye-tracking relies on video-based systems that capture pupil position and corneal reflections using infrared illumination, sometimes complemented by electro-oculography (EOG). Data are processed into metrics such as fixations (periods of relative gaze stability), saccades (rapid eye movements between fixations), gaze trajectories, dwell time on areas of interest, and pupil diameter as an index of arousal.

Devices vary from remote, screen-based trackers to head-mounted or glasses-style systems. Calibration aligns the system to the user’s eye geometry and typical head pose; drift and occlusions require periodic recalibration. Outputs include gaze coordinates, heat maps, scanpaths, and AOI-based statistics.

Applications span research and industry. In psychology and neuroscience, eye tracking helps study attention, perception and reading. In usability testing and market research, it reveals how users interact with websites, apps or ads. In automotive and aviation, it can monitor operator attention and fatigue. Virtual reality and gaming increasingly rely on eye tracking for interaction and optimization.

Limitations include susceptibility to head movement, calibration errors, and variability across individuals. Ethical considerations cover privacy, informed consent and data anonymization, given that gaze data can reveal sensitive information about preferences and health.