Richard Bates

Why are eye mice unpopular? A detailed comparison of head and eye controlled assistive technology pointing devices

This paper examines and compares the usability problems associated with eye-based and head-based assistive technology pointing devices when used for direct manipulation on a standard graphical user interface. It discusses and examines the pros and cons of eye-based pointing in comparison to the established assistive technology technique of head-based pointing and illustrates the usability factors responsible for the apparent low usage or ‘unpopularity’ of eye-based pointing. It shows that user experience and target size on the interface are the predominant factors affecting eye-based pointing and suggests that these could be overcome to enable eye-based pointing to be a viable and available direct manipulation interaction technique for the motor-disabled community.

Laser-Based Head-Tracked 3D Display Research

The construction and operation of two laser-based glasses-free 3D (autostereoscopic) displays that have been carried out within the European Union-funded projects MUTED and HELIUM3D is described in this paper. Both use a multi-user head tracker to direct regions viewers referred to as exit pupils to viewers eyes. MUTED employs a direct-view LCD whose backlight comprises novel steering optics and in HELIUM3D image information is supplied by a horizontally-scanned fast light valve whose output is controlled by a spatial light modulator (SLM). The principle of operation, construction and results obtained are described.

Introducing COGAIN: communication by gaze interaction

This paper introduces the work of the COGAIN “communication by gaze interaction” European Network of Excellence that is working toward giving people with profound disabilities the opportunity to communicate and control their environment by eye gaze control. It shows the need for developing eye gaze based communication systems, and illustrates the effectiveness of newly developed COGAIN eye gaze control systems with a series of case studies, each showing differing aspects of the benefits offered by gaze control. Finally, the paper puts forward a strong case for users, professionals and researchers to collaborate towards developing gaze based communication systems to enable and empower people with disabilities.

Gaze interaction with virtual on-line communities: levelling the playing field for disabled users

This paper introduces the concept of enabling gaze-based interaction for users with high-level motor disabilities to control an avatar in a first-person perspective on-line community. An example community, Second Life, is introduced that could offer disabled users the same virtual freedom as any other user, and so allow disabled users to be able-bodied (should they wish) within the virtual world. A survey of the control demands for Second Life and a subsequent preliminary experiment show that gaze control has inherent problems particularly for locomotion and camera movement. These problems result in a lack of effective gaze control of Second Life, such that control is not practical and show that disabled users who interact using gaze will have difficulties in controlling Second Life (and similar environments). This suggests that these users could once again become disabled in the virtual world by the difficulties in effectively controlling their avatars, and their ‘disability privacy’, or the right to control an avatar as effectively as an able bodied user, and so appear virtually able bodied, will be compromised. Methods for overcoming these difficulties such as the use of gaze aware on-screen assistive tools could overcome these problems, but games manufacturers must design inclusively, so that disabled users may have the right to disability privacy in their Second (virtual) Lives.

Towards eye based virtual environment interaction for users with high-level motor disabilities

An experiment is reported that extends earlier work on the enhancement of eye pointing in 2D environments, through the addition of a zoom facility, to its use in virtual 3D environments using a similar enhancement. A comparison between hand pointing and eye pointing without any enhancement shows a performance advantage for hand based pointing. However, the addition of a ‘fly’ or ‘zoom’ enhancement increases both eye and hand based performance, and reduces greatly the difference between these devices. Initial attempts at ‘intelligent’ fly mechanisms and further enhancements are evaluated.

Head tracked 3d displays

It is anticipated that head tracked 3D displays will provide the next generation of display suitable for widespread use. Although there is an extensive range of 3D display types currently available, head tracked displays have the advantage that they present the minimum amount of image information necessary for the perception of 3D. The advantages and disadvantages of the various 3D approaches are considered and a single and a multi-user head tracked display are described. Future work based on the findings of a prototype multi-user display that has been constructed is considered.

A Roadmap for Autostereoscopic Multi-Viewer Domestic TV Displays

This paper presents a brief overview of the current technologies and technical approaches that may lead to viable and user-acceptable domestic autostereoscopic multi-viewer television displays. It illustrates the performance attributes of the various technological approaches and points to the most likely approaches to succeed within the next 10 years. Finally, it shows possible timescales for the enabling technologies for 3D display, and concludes that multi-user autostereoscopic displays may be the first to gain widespread use

Latest developments in a multi-user 3D display

De Montfort University, in conjunction with the Heinrich Hertz Institute, is developing a 3D display that is targeted specifically at the television market. It is capable of supplying 3D to several viewers who do not have to wear special glasses, and who are able to move freely over a room-sized area. The display consists of a single liquid crystal display that presents the same stereo pair to every viewer by employing spatial multiplexing. This presents a stereo pair on alternate pixel rows, with the conventional backlight replaced by novel steering optics controlled by the output of a head position tracker. Illumination is achieved using arrays of coaxial optical elements in conjunction with high-density white light emitting diode arrays. The operation of the steering and multiplexing optics in the prototype display are explained. The results obtained from a prototype built under the European Union-funded ATTEST 3D television project are described. The performance of this model was not optimum, but was sufficient to prove that the principle of operation is viable for a 3D television display. A second prototype, incorporating improvements based on experience gained, is currently under construction and this is also described. The prototype is capable of being developed into a display appropriate for a production model that will enable 3D television to come to market within the next ten years. With the current widespread usage of flat panel displays it is likely that customer preference will be for a hang-on-the-wall 3D display, and this challenge will be met by reconfiguring the optics and incorporating novel optical addressing techniques.

Gaze Interaction with Virtual On-line Communities

On-line real-time ‘immersive’ communities, such as SecondLife, are becoming increasingly popular as a means of interacting and doing things together with friends and new acquaintances. These communities represent users as avatars, through which a person may be represented by a virtual self of any shape, size, colour or other appearance, with interaction taking place in a virtual 3-dimensional world. A disabled user may construct an avatar which can reveal, or hide, their disability from other people in the virtual community, and offer a different experience from the real community.

Solving the 3D Problem—The History and Development of Viable Domestic

Domestic television and video display is central to one of the largest consumer electronics markets in the world and the prize for developing a technically capable, and commercially viable domestic-suitable 3D video display system is likely to be great. Producing such a domestic 3D video system places great demands on innovation, research and development, but with recent advances in the enabling technologies such displays are now within our grasp. This paper starts by giving a brief history of the many attempts to produce a viable domestic 3D video display, illustrating the pioneers who first initiated research on 3D domestic displays. This paper then outlines and discusses the essential requirements that would be necessary to fulfil viewer expectations of a viable and usable domestic 3D video display. These demands are then placed in the context of the historical attempts to produce viable 3D displays, showing how these attempts have informed current thinking by outlining the problems of each technology approach. The paper then goes on to describe possible contemporary approaches to producing domestic 3D video displays, discussing the current viability of each, and showing that although there are many current solutions, these are often not suitable for domestic use. The paper then shows the development, based on historical work and contemporary thinking and technology, of viable 3D domestic video displays for both single viewer use and multiple viewer use that are hoped will fulfil the demands of domestic use. The paper summarises with the prediction that within the next 10 years we will see domestic 3D video displays readily available and accepted by the market place.