We’re excited to present the LAMETTA project at Scientifica, the science fair of ETH Zurich and University of Zurich. Come and try out an interactive mobile eye tracking system! Explore a mountain panorama and interact with it only by using your gaze (details in German)!
You can find us Friday, 1 September to Sunday, 3 September at University of Zurich main building (West Foyer).
Check out our Scientifica video!
We are looking for a PhD candidate (LAMETTA project).
More details and application on the ETH website.
Dr. Ioannis Giannopoulos received the ETH Zurich Culmann Award in 2017 for an outstanding doctoral thesis “Supporting Wayfinding Through Mobile Gaze-Based Interaction”.
Peter Kiefer and Ioannis Giannopoulos have contributed to an article titled “An inverse-linear logistic model of the main sequence” (Journal of Eye Movement Research, JEMR). It is now available online:
http://dx.doi.org/10.16910/jemr.10.3.4
Abstract. A model of the main sequence is proposed based on the logistic function. The model’s fit to the peak velocity-amplitude relation resembles an S curve, simulta- neously allowing control of the curve’s asymptotes at very small and very large amplitudes, as well as its slope over the mid amplitude range. The proposed inverse-linear logistic model is also able to express the linear relation of duration and amplitude. We demonstrate the utility and robustness of the model when fit to aggregate data at the small- and mid-amplitude ranges, namely when fitting microsaccades, saccades, and superposition of both. We are confident the model will suitably extend to the large-amplitude range of eye movements.
Our article “Gaze-Informed Location Based Services” has been accepted for publication by the International Journal of Geographical Information Science (IJGIS):
Anagnostopoulos, V.-A., Havlena, M., Kiefer, P., Giannopoulos, I., Schindler, K., and Raubal, M. (2017). Gaze-informed location based services. International Journal of Geographical Information Science, 2017. (accepted), PDF
The article introduces the concept of location based services which take the user’s viewing direction into account. It reports on the implementation and evaluation of such gaze-informed location based service which has been developed as part of the LAMETTA project. This research has been performed in collaboration between the GeoGazeLab, Michal Havlena (Computer Vision Laboratory, ETH Zurich) and Konrad Schindler (Institute of Geodesy and Photogrammetry, ETH Zurich).
Abstract
Location-Based Services (LBS) provide more useful, intelligent assistance to users by adapting to their geographic context. For some services that context goes beyond a location and includes further spatial parameters, such as the user’s orientation or field of view. Here, we introduce Gaze-Informed LBS (GAIN-LBS), a novel type of LBS that takes into account the user’s viewing direction. Such a system could, for instance, provide audio information about the specific building a tourist is looking at from a vantage point. To determine the viewing direction relative to the environment, we record the gaze direction
relative to the user’s head with a mobile eye tracker. Image data from the tracker’s forward-looking camera serve as input to determine the orientation of the head w.r.t. the surrounding scene, using computer vision methods that allow one to estimate the relative transformation between the camera and a known view of the scene in real-time and without the need for artificial markers or additional sensors. We focus on how to map the Point of Regard of a user to a reference system, for which the objects of interest are known in advance. In an experimental validation on three real city panoramas, we confirm that the approach can cope with head movements of varying speed, including fast rotations up to 63 deg/s. We further demonstrate the feasibility of GAIN-LBS for tourist assistance with a proof-of-concept experiment in which a tourist explores a city panorama, where the approach achieved a recall that reaches over 99%. Finally, a GAIN-LBS can provide objective and qualitative ways of examining the gaze of a user based on what the user is currently looking at.
A double Special Issue on “Eye Tracking for Spatial Research” in Spatial Cognition&Computation, guest-edited by Peter, Ioannis, Martin, and Andrew Duchowski, has appeared [URL].
Nineteen manuscripts were submitted to an open Call for Submissions, out of which seven were finally accepted after a rigorous review process.
The Special Issue commences with an overview article, authored by the Guest Editors: “Eye tracking for spatial research: Cognition, computation, challenges” [URL, PDF].
An article titled “Controllability matters: The user experience of adaptive maps” will appear in one of the next issues of the Geoinformatica journal. It is now available online:
Controllability matters: The user experience of adaptive maps
Abstract Adaptive map interfaces have the potential of increasing usability by providing more task dependent and personalized support. It is unclear, however, how map adaptation must be designed to avoid a loss of control, transparency, and predictability. This article investigates the user experience of adaptive map interfaces in the context of gaze-based activity recognition. In a Wizard of Oz experiment we study two adaptive map interfaces differing in the degree of controllability and compare them to a non-adaptive map interface. Adaptive interfaces were found to cause higher user experience and lower perceived cognitive workload than the non-adaptive interface. Among the adaptive interfaces, users clearly preferred the condition with higher controllability. Results from structured interviews reveal that participants dislike being interrupted in their spatial cognitive processes by a sudden adaptation of the map content. Our results suggest that adaptive map interfaces should provide their users with control at what time an adaptation will be performed.
The latest issue of the Horizonte magazine, published by the Swiss National Science Foundation, is reporting on our research.
Source: Horizonte 111, December 2016
Martin Raubal was invited for the INNOLEC Lecture at the Department of Geography of the Masaryk University Brünn, Czech Republic.
The title of his talk is: Gaze-based assistance for wayfinders in the real world (slides as PDF, all our presentations).
Peter Kiefer, Ioannis Giannopoulos, Andrew Duchowski, Martin Raubal (2016) Measuring cognitive load for map tasks through pupil diameter. In Proceedings of the Ninth International Conference on Geographic Information Science (GIScience 2016). Springer
We are going to host the next meeting of the Eye Tracking Interest Group Zurich (ETIZ). Everyone using, or planning to use eye tracking in their research is cordially welcome!
Date, time: Wednesday, 23rd March 2016, 17:00-19:00
Place: ETH Zurich Hönggerberg, HIL G 22
Topic: Measuring Cognitive Load with Eye Tracking
Please sign up in the Doodle to allow us plan the coffee break: http://ethz.doodle.com/poll/6ti5qbqx23wvf53g (before 16 March)
17:00 – 17:05
Welcome
17:05 – 17:20
Cognitive Load: Introduction
Christoph Hölscher, Chair of Cognitive Science, ETH Zürich
17:20 – 17:45
Cognitive Load and Eye Tracking: Overview on Methods
Andrew Duchowski, School of Computing, Clemson University, S.C., USA
17:45 – 18:15
Break
with possibility to try out a mobile gaze-based interaction system
Vasilis Anagnostopoulos, LAMETTA project, Geoinformation Engineering ETH Zürich
18:15 – 18:45
Discussion: Cognitive Load
18:45 – 18:55
Discussion: Format of ETIZ meeting
Everyone interested in eye tracking research is invited to the following talk:
Speaker: Prof. Dr. Andrew Duchowski (Clemson University, SC, USA)
Title: Eye Movement Synthesis
Place: ETH Zurich Science City Hönggerberg, HIL D 53
Date, time: Tuesday, 5th April 2016, 5.00 pm
After the talk you are cordially invited to an apéro in room HIL D 55.2.
Abstract: In this talk I will go over the eye movement simulation project being conducted at Clemson (and partially at ETH Zürich). The goal is to generate gaze data ground truth with which to validate different filtering approaches as well as to produce realistic eye movement animations. The focus of the project is to develop a procedural (stochastic) model of microsaccadic jitter.
Fabian Göbel has started as a PhD student in the IGAMaps project (Intention-Aware Gaze-Based Assistance on Maps).
Great to have you on board, Fabian!
Our Winter School on “Eye Tracking – Experimental Design, Implementation, and Analysis” is over. We were able to attract 61 participants, 5 speakers, plus several sponsor representatives.
In one keynote (Anke Huckauf), three lecture parts and three hands-on sessions (I. Scott MacKenzie, Andrew Duchowski, Izabela Krejtz, and Krzysztof Krejtz) participants learned about the whole cycle of performing eye tracking experiments, starting from experimental design, over data collection and processing, to the statistical analysis.
The conference center on Monte Verità (Ascona, Switzerland) offered an at the same time productive and enjoyable atmosphere with high quality food and service.
Thanks to all who have made this possible, especially our speakers and Congresso Stefano Franscini!
We offer topics for student theses on Bachelor and Master level:
Bachelor (PDF, German)
Master (PDF, English)
You may also propose your own topic related to eye tracking, wayfinding, or gaze-based interaction. Contact us for more information!
The full lists of all topics (including non-eye tracking topics) can be found on the main page of the Chair of Geoinformation Engineering.
We are looking for a PhD candidate (IGAMaps project).
More details and application on the ETH website, and as PDF.
Exciting research project to be started soon!
Our project proposal on “Intention-Aware Gaze-Based Assistance on Maps” (IGAMaps) has been approved by the Swiss National Science Foundation (PI: Peter Kiefer, Co-PI: Martin Raubal, 1 PhD for 3 yrs).
The project envisions intention-aware gaze-based assistance on cartographic maps. A future intention-aware gaze-based assistive map could, for instance, recognize from the user’s gaze that he or she is planning a touristic round trip, and adapt to the user’s needs accordingly. The main objective of this project consists in the investigation of methods for the recognition of activities and intentions from gaze data, collected from cartographic map users.
The PETMEI 2015 workshop at UbiComp, which Peter Kiefer has co-organized, took place on September, 7 in Osaka (Japan). There were 6 presentations, a keynote by Ali Borji, a demo, and a group work session, all with very active participation and interesting discussions. The workshop ended with a workshop dinner in a restaurant with food from the Okinawa region, and some participants continued to a Japanese Karaoke bar.
All in all, it has been a stimulating, fascinating and enjoyable event. Thanks to all participants, co-organizers, and sponsors!
Links:
Vasilis Anagnostopoulos has started as a PhD student in the LAMETTA project (Location-Aware Mobile Eye Tracking for Tourist Assistance).
Welcome to our team, Vasilis!
Peter Kiefer, and Ioannis Giannopoulos (2015). A Framework for Attention-Based Implicit Interaction on Mobile Screens. In Proceedings of the Workshop Smarttention, Intelligent Attention Management on Mobile Devices, in conjunction with MobileHCI 2015. ACM, New York, NY, USA (accepted)
The registration for our ETH Zurich Winter School on Eye Tracking – Experimental Design, Implementation, and Analysis is now open. Please also check out opportunities for funding through travel grants!
More information as PDF.
Kiefer, P., Scheider, S., Giannopoulos, I., and Weiser, P. (2015). A wayfinding grammar based on reference system transformations. In S.I. Fabrikant, M. Raubal, M. Bertolotto, C. Davies, S. Freundschuh, and S. Bell (Eds.), Spatial Information Theory (COSIT 2015), volume 9368 of Lecture Notes in Computer Science, pages 447-467. Springer International Publishing
A summary of our research on “Gaze-Based Geographic Human Computer Interaction” (PDF) is included as a research highlight in the annual report 2014 of our department (D-BAUG, Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering).
We are co-organizing an ETH Winter School on “Eye Tracking – Experimental Design, Implementation, and Analysis” which is going to take place in Monte Verità (Ticino), Switzerland, from 17 to 22 January 2016.
The Winter School targets at PhD students and early PostDocs (coming from any research field) who are using, or planning to use, eye tracking in their research. Internationally recognized experts will provide lectures and hands-on sessions on eye tracking methodology, experimental design, and analysis.
We are co-organizing a workshop at the UbiComp conference: the workshop on “Pervasive Eye Tracking and Mobile Eye-Based Interaction“ (PETMEI 2015). The workshop is concerned with eye tracking and gaze-based interaction in mobile and everyday (“ubiquitous”) situations, such as in pedestrian navigation.
We are looking for a PhD candidate (LAMETTA project).
More details and application on the ETH website.
Two students have started their Master theses in the GeoGazeLab:
Aikaterini Tsampazi, a Master student in Geomatics, will use eye tracking to measure the visual behavior of wayfinders in a virtual environment in her Master thesis titled “Pedestrian Navigation: The use of navigation aids under time pressure in virtual urban environments”. The goal will be to investigate how pedestrian wayfinders behave under time pressure.
Yufan Miao, a Master student in Computational Science from Uppsala University, is visiting our group in spring and summer 2015. He will be working on his Master thesis on “Landmark detection for mobile eye tracking”, co-supervised by our group and the Chair of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (Prof. Schindler). The goal is to apply image processing techniques to outdoor eye tracking videos for the automatic computation of the object of regard.
Martin Sudmanns, a Master student of Geoinformatics at Salzburg University, joins our team for a 3-months internship, starting in March 2015.
Welcome Martin!
Kiefer, P. (2015). Blickbasierte Mensch-Computer-Interaktion mit Geoinformationssystemen. In Thomas H. Kolbe, Ralf Bill, and Andreas Donaubauer, editors, Geoinformationssysteme 2015. Wichmann, Heidelberg.
[PDF]
The Federal Office of Civil Aviation will fund our project on “Enhanced flight training programs for monitoring aircraft automation” (January 2015 – June 2017).
We will conduct eye tracking studies with professional pilots in flight simulators to analyze the effectiveness of visual scan strategies during aircraft operation. The ultimate goal is to include the obtained insights into pilot training programs. Read more about our research on aviation.
The project is a cooperation with an internationally operating airline. Further collaborators are the NASA Ames Research Center and Prof. Dr. Robert Mauro (University of Oregon, USA).
