Gazing at Games

Eye tracking is a process that identifies a specific point in both space and time that is being looked at by the observer. This information can also be used in real-time to control applications using the eyes. Recent innovations in the video game industry include alternative input modalities to provide an enhanced, more immersive user experience. In particular, eye gaze control has recently been explored as an input modality in video games. This book is an introduction for those interested in using eye tracking to control or analyze video games and virtual environments. Key concepts are illustrated through three case studies in which gaze control and voice recognition have been used in combination to control virtual characters and applications. The lessons learned in the case studies are presented and issues relating to incorporating eye tracking in interactive applications are discussed. The reader will be given an introduction to human visual attention, eye movements and eye tracking technologies. Previous work in the field of studying fixation behavior in games and using eye tracking for video game interaction will also be presented. The final chapter discusses ideas for how this field can be developed further to create richer interaction for characters and crowds in virtual environments. Alternative means of interaction in video games are especially important for disabled users for whom traditional techniques, such as mouse and keyboard, may be far from ideal. This book is also relevant for those wishing to use gaze control in applications other than games. Table of Contents: Introduction / The Human Visual System / Eye Tracking / Eye Tracking in Video Games / Gaze and Voice Controlled Video Games: Case Study I and II / Gaze and Voice Controlled Drawing: Case Study III / Conclusion

Veronica Sundstedt is an Assistant Professor in Digital Game Development at Blekinge Institute of Technology (BTH) in Karlskrona, Sweden. At BTH she is coordinating the Computer Graphics research group. Prior to this she was working as a Lecturer in the Graphics, Vision, and Visualisation Group (GV2) in the School of Computer Science and Statistics at Trinity College Dublin, Ireland. Previously, she was a Postdoctoral Research Associate in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Bristol and the University of Bath, UK. She holds a PhD in Computer Graphics from the University of Bristol and an M.Sc. in Media Technology from the University of Linkoping, Sweden. Her research interests are in computer graphics and perception, in particular perceptually-based rendering algorithms, user studies, eye tracking, and novel gaze-based interaction techniques. She was co-chairing the ACM Applied Perception in Graphics and Visualization (APGV) conference in 2007 and the Eurographics Ireland Workshop in 2009. She recently co-organised the 1st Conference on Novel Gaze-Controlled Applications (NGCA 2011). She is also on the editorial board of the ACM Transactions of Applied Perception journal and Program Co-Chair for ACM SAP in 2012.