Integrating Eye Tracking into Your Automotive Research Set Up: The Smart Eye Approach

Integrating eye tracking technology into automotive research setups can significantly enhance the quality and depth of insights gained from driver behavior studies. Here’s what to expect when working with Smart Eye to integrate the Smart Eye Pro into your automotive research setup.

Understand the Project

We begin by gaining a comprehensive understanding of the project and the research goals. This involves detailed discussions with the customer to grasp the specific use case, whether it’s understanding driver workload, analyzing gaze distribution, or evaluating driver interaction with vehicle technology.

Define the Requirements

Next, we define the requirements for the project. This includes determining the necessary field of view, the desired accuracy, and identifying any specific objects of interest within the vehicle. These requirements help us understand the scope of the setup and the technological needs for achieving the project goals.

Understand the Limitations

It’s crucial to recognize any limitations that might impact the setup. These could include constraints on camera and flash placement, potential sources of interference within the vehicle, or any specific conditions like drivers wearing glasses or sunglasses. Understanding these limitations allows us to develop effective workarounds and ensure the reliability of the eye tracking system.

Customize the Solution

Based on our findings, we customize the solution to fit the project’s specific needs. This involves configuring the number of cameras and their placements to ensure comprehensive coverage and accuracy. For instance, in larger vehicles, more cameras may be required to cover all critical areas without compromising the field of view or data quality.

Present the Solution

Once we have designed a customized solution, we present it to the customer, detailing the expected field of view, accuracy, and other key parameters. This presentation includes a thorough explanation of how the solution meets the defined requirements and addresses any identified limitations.

Customer Approval

After presenting the solution, we seek final approval from the customer. This step ensures that all expectations are met and that the proposed setup is aligned with the project’s objectives. Once we receive approval, we proceed with the installation phase.

An Illustration of the Smart Eye Process

Let’s illustrate this approach with a practical example:

1. The Use Case
   A customer aims to understand driver workload and stress levels, as well as gaze distribution between the interior of the vehicle and the road during different driving scenarios. They plan to collect aggregate data from at least 30 drivers, each completing multiple runs, to validate or improve vehicle design and technology.
2. The Requirements
   The customer specifies the need for high accuracy in tracking eye movements within the vehicle’s interior, especially around the dashboard and infotainment systems. They also require coverage of the exterior view to capture gaze behavior on the road. A remote system with minimal setup time and non-intrusive technology is preferred to ensure naturalistic driver behavior.
3. Understand the Limitations
   We identify potential limitations, such as conflicting IR sources within the vehicle or the drivers not wanting to wear any headgear. The hardware must not interfere with vehicle operation or driver comfort.
4. Customize the Solution
   To meet these requirements, Smart Eye builds an in-house replica of the vehicle environment. We test different configurations to determine the optimal number and placement of cameras and illuminators. This ensures comprehensive coverage and high accuracy for both interior and exterior views.
5. Present to the Customer
   After finalizing the configuration, we present our solution to the customer. We discuss any areas that may not fully meet the initial requirements and set realistic expectations for accuracy and data quality in the desired areas.
6. Customer Approval
   With the customer’s approval, we proceed to the installation phase.

Installation Process

The installation process involves both hardware and software setup. For hardware, we might embed a multi-camera system within the vehicle to ensure minimal intrusion and maximum coverage. The cameras are strategically placed, and illuminators are positioned to enhance tracking accuracy without interfering with driver operations.

For software, we use a 3D laser measurement tool to map out the vehicle’s interior accurately. This tool helps create an exact replica of the vehicle environment within the software, allowing precise tracking of driver gaze on specific objects and areas of interest.

When the setup is complete, the software displays a 3D model of the vehicle interior. As the driver moves their gaze around, the system visualizes gaze intersections on various objects, providing real-time data for researchers to analyze.

The Bottom Line

Integrating Smart Eye Pro into your automotive research setup involves a detailed and collaborative process, ensuring that the system is tailored to meet your specific research goals. By understanding the project, defining requirements, recognizing limitations, customizing the solution, and securing customer approval, Smart Eye ensures a seamless integration that enhances the depth and quality of your research. The journey to unlocking deeper insights into driver behavior and vehicle interaction begins with Smart Eye Pro.

Get in touch with our team to learn more about our solutions and request a live demonstration. In the meantime, download your own copy of this eBook now to uncover how eye tracking is transforming automotive research, driving human-centric mobility, and shaping the future of transportation.