ETRAN--R Extension Package for Eye Tracking Results Analysis

Area of Science:

• Computer Science
• Cognitive Science
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Eye tracking is a valuable tool for understanding visual attention and cognitive processes.
• Analyzing eye tracking data can be complex, requiring specialized software and analytical methods.
• Existing tools may lack flexibility or be limited to specific hardware.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a novel open-source R extension package for general-purpose eye tracking results analysis.
• To provide researchers with a flexible and extensible platform for processing and visualizing eye tracking data.
• To support data loading from various eye trackers and implement diverse analytical techniques.

Main Methods:

• Development of an R package with a modular structure.
• Implementation of data loading functionalities for SMI eye trackers.
• Inclusion of multiple methods for fixation detection.
• Integration of various imaging techniques for raw data and fixation visualization (time sequence, scanpath, heatmap, dynamic visualization).

Main Results:

• The package supports data import from SMI eye trackers.
• It offers diverse methods for detecting fixations.
• Various visualization techniques are available for raw and processed eye tracking data.
• The modular design facilitates future extensions and customization.

Conclusions:

• The proposed R package provides a comprehensive and extensible solution for eye tracking data analysis.
• It empowers researchers with advanced tools for visualizing and interpreting visual attention patterns.
• Effective utilization requires proficiency in the R programming language.