Imec Packs New Fast Eye Tracking Technology Into Ergonomic Design For High-Quality AR/VR Experiences

Technology also looks promising for healthcare applications such as early detection of neurodegenerative diseases

Imec, the world-leading research and innovation hub in nano-electronics and digital technology, will demonstrate recently at its Imec Technology Forum in Antwerp (ITF Belgium 2018), a new wireless eye-tracking technology based on electro-oculography (EOG), an ophthalmology technique used to examine eyes and record eye movement. The technology, which is integrated into a standard pair of eyeglasses, can significantly improve augmented reality and virtual reality (AR/VR) experiences. Moreover, imec aims to employ it for clinical research on neurodegenerative diseases.

Imec’s EOG technology utilizes five dry-contact electrodes mounted on a standard pair of eyeglasses. The electrodes detect the eye-movement, while the ergonomic design gives the wearer the comfortable familiarity of every-day glass frames. It is less expensive and less bulky compared to state-of-the-art AR/VR headsets with eye-tracking capability. Moreover, imec’s novel approach can achieve a sampling rate of 256 samples per second, making it more than twice as fast as current camera-based solutions for detecting eye position. Based on Bluetooth wireless technology, it is more energy efficient, requiring only one battery in a small box behind the wearer’s ear. Another small box includes the electronics.

Imec’s EOG technology can be used in AR/VR applications to navigate interfaces and menus quickly by the user’s eye gestures, eliminating the need for cumbersome hand controllers. An advanced algorithm translates the eye movement signals into virtual commands: lateral eye movements can for example be used to swipe and turn, while blinking will trigger a move forward.

Moreover, eye movement analysis has been increasingly used in studies on neurological disorders, resulting in scientific evidence that eye movements are affected by neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s disease or Alzheimer’s disease, even at an early stage. With this in mind, imec aims to employ its technology for clinical research on the early detection of neurodegenerative diseases and monitoring disease progression.

“The EOG glasses represent just one of many wearable devices that have come from imec research,” added Alessio Meroni, project leader at imec in Holst Centre (the Netherlands). “Our constant mission is to leverage our semiconductor technology expertise to deliver innovative devices that can be worn as easily as the eyeglasses announced today. With our collaborative R&D model, we accomplish outstanding results in AR/VR, innovative healthcare and lifestyle technologies. We invite companies in the medical field to join our efforts to turn this technology into a valuable diagnostic tool.”

Imec will demonstrate the EOG glasses at its annual ITF event, which takes places in Antwerp (Belgium), on May 23nd – 24rd. Attendees will have the opportunity to find their way through a maze wearing the EOG glasses and using only their eye movements for navigation.

Development Partners
The compact, ergonomic design of the EOG glasses was accomplished in partnership with GBO, an industrial design company based in Antwerp, Belgium. Datwyler Group, based in Altdorf, Switzerland, partnered with imec to develop the dry polymer electrodes for the glasses.

About imec
Imec is the world-leading research and innovation hub in nanoelectronics and digital technologies. The combination of our widely acclaimed leadership in microchip technology and profound software and ICT expertise is what makes us unique. By leveraging our world-class infrastructure and local and global ecosystem of partners across a multitude of industries, we create groundbreaking innovation in application domains such as healthcare, smart cities and mobility, logistics and manufacturing, energy and education.

As a trusted partner for companies, start-ups and universities we bring together more than 4,000 brilliant minds from over 85 nationalities. Imec is headquartered in Leuven, Belgium and has distributed R&D groups at a number of Flemish universities, in the Netherlands, Taiwan, USA, China, and offices in India and Japan. In 2017, imec's revenue (P&L) totaled 546 million euro. Further information on imec can be found at www.imec-int.com.

Imec is a registered trademark for the activities of IMEC International (a legal entity set up under Belgian law as a "stichting van openbaar nut”), imec Belgium (IMEC vzw supported by the Flemish Government), imec the Netherlands (Stichting IMEC Nederland, part of Holst Centre which is supported by the Dutch Government), imec Taiwan (IMEC Taiwan Co.) and imec China (IMEC Microelectronics (Shanghai) Co. Ltd.) and imec India (Imec India Private Limited), imec Florida (IMEC USA nanoelectronics design center).