Eye-tracking could change consumer world

SOFTWARE that records shoppers’ eye movements to log what interests them as they browse the shelves may soon transform the consumer world, scientists said yesterday.

The eye-tracking software which uses a “gaze analysis” could be seen as “a bit Big Brother”, a spokeswoman for the project said.

But it could also help shoppers by using the data so services can be “tailored” towards their needs, she added.

The software is the result of a partnership between Bristol University’s Department of Computer Science and Applied Science Laboratories (ASL).

ASL’s eye-tracking system called Mobile Eye, has been combined with the university’s vision location and mapping software (Slam).

Merging the two has created a hybrid technology called GazeMap that allows a viewer’s attention to be “measured and analysed”.

The new system allows the “gaze analysis” to be done in 3D.

The technology allows researchers and designers to collect data about eye movements and what people are looking at when they perform everyday tasks such as window-shopping or browsing in-store.

Beyond the consumer market, the software could be applied to research in other fields including sports, reading, safety and training.

Computer science reader Andrew Calway, who is leading the project, said: “We are very excited about the potential of this new technology.

“Computer science at Bristol has a reputation for delivering pioneering research and teaming up with ASL has meant we were able to help take the technology to another level, while at the same time applying it to a real-world application.”

The university said in a statement: “Software that tracks shoppers’ eye movements as they browse supermarket shelves may seem a bit Big Brother, but the latest technology in ‘eye-tracking’, which monitors what grabs a person’s attention, could have far-reaching implications for consumers and result in services being tailored towards their specific interests in the future.”