Micro Eye Movement Measurement System with High-Speed Optics Control

Summary

Microsaccades, which are small oscillatory movements of the human eye, have been found to correlate with various human phenomena such as psychological and health states. Microsaccades can be measured using an eye tracker, but the need to fix the head to a chinrest and the high degree of restraint on the human head make it difficult to make measurements in a calm state.

In this study, we propose a head-unconstrained eye micromotion measurement system using high-speed control and tracking of optical systems such as galvanometer mirrors and liquid variable focus lenses (Fig. 1). As with the remote iris recognition technology, this technology realizes high-resolution in-focus images near the eyeball, which are difficult to obtain with a wide-angle fixed camera, through high-speed optical axis and focus control, and enables the detection of microsaccadic eye movements by appropriately processing eye gaze information based on the corneal reflection method. Artificial eyes capable of microsaccade motion are also effectively used in the development of this system. Eye movement measurement that allows free head movement is expected to be applied in the medical and life science fields.

This content is based on the results of joint research with NEC Corporation.

Fig. 1 Eye movement measurement system.

Reference

1. Keiko Yokoyama, Tomohiro Sueishi, Michiaki Inoue, Shoji Yachida, Toshinori Hosoi, and Masatoshi Ishikawa: Toward Micro Eye Movement Detection in Practice: Stand-alone Eye Tracker with High Resolution and Wide Measurement Range, 2024 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS2024) (Abu Dhabi, 2024.10.17)/Proceedings, pp. 10633-10640
2. Soichiro Matsumura, Tomohiro Sueishi, Shoji Yachida, and Masatoshi Ishikawa: Eye Vibration Detection Using High-speed Optical Tracking and Pupil Center Corneal Reflection, The 43rd Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society (EMBC2021) (Virtual, 2021.11.4)/Proceedings, ThDT3.5