The Eyes Have It: The Utility of Eye Tracking Technology

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The Eyes Have It: The Utility of Eye Tracking Technology

You’d think that eye tracking technology is so very 21st century, simply a product of the internet age. But you’d be wrong! The very first eye tracking devices were developed in the early 1900s, and they were quite rudimentary. They used beams of light to track the movement of the eye, and the data was recorded on film.

It wasn’t until the 1960s when mobile eye tracking technology was developed and has more in common with the computer-based eye tracking devices we have today. These early devices used sensors to track the movement of the eye. In the 1970s and 1980s, there were great advances in both the technology and the psychological theories behind eye tracking.

In the 1990s, eye tracking technology started to become more widely used in research and commercial settings. Companies like Tobii, the market leaders in eye tracking tech, started to develop eye tracking devices that could be used in a variety of settings, like labs, offices, and even homes. In the 2000s, eye tracking technology became even more advanced, with higher resolution cameras and faster response times. This allowed for even more precise and accurate eye tracking data.

Now, in the 2020s, eye tracking is being used in a wide range of applications, from scientific research, detecting early signs of illness, gaming and immersive experiences in virtual reality, and understanding consumer behaviour in retail and automative. All of it very interesting, very innovative and pretty much out of the headlights…until Apple announced the Vision Pro mixed reality headset.

From what we know so far, the Apple Vision Pro headset will have advanced eye tracking technology. It’s this combination of eye tracking and sensors that detect hand gestures that enables users to control the computer displays presented on two 4k mini-screens in front of their eyes. The point is that if the Vision pro takes off, and why wouldn’t it, then eye tracking tech is going to thrust…