High-accuracy eye tracking ( <0.5°) method via 1D rotational MEMS mirror scanning.

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Optoelectronics
• Human-Computer Interaction

Background:

• Conventional camera-based eye tracking systems present a trade-off between power consumption and accuracy.
• There is a need for more efficient and accurate eye tracking solutions for diverse applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a novel, low-power, and high-accuracy eye tracking method.
• To utilize a Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) mirror for precise gaze detection.

Main Methods:

• A MEMS mirror driven at 8 kHz was employed for one-dimensional rotational scanning of a laser beam.
• The laser beam was directed to the cornea, and gaze direction was determined by analyzing the reflected signal's peak time interval.
• Modulation of the drive signal's duty cycle and phase enabled precise beam control.

Main Results:

• The proposed system achieved high accuracy, with errors less than 0.5 degrees.
• The eye tracking remained stable during simulated saccades, demonstrating robustness.
• Low latency was maintained, crucial for real-time applications.

Conclusions:

• The novel MEMS mirror-based eye tracking method offers a viable solution for reducing power consumption and computational load.
• This approach provides a pathway toward highly integrated, next-generation eye tracking systems.
• The system demonstrates potential for applications requiring efficient and accurate gaze detection.