Most VR enthusiasts will readily agree there is still plenty of room for improvements. Eye tracking is one of those developments so many people are looking forward to. Although this technology seems years away, it may very well come to market a lot sooner than people expect. Tobii, a Swedish company, seems to have come up with a viable product in this regard.
Eye Tracking in VR
Even though virtual reality is immersive on it sown, it does not mimic the real world all that well. With no haptic feedback and a lack of eye tracking there is always a feeling of “not being really there’ when dealing with VR environments. On the one hand, that is a good thing. However, it also shows there need to be further improvements in this regard. Tobii, a Swedish company, may have come up with a solution to address the eye tracking problem.
More specifically, their product is effectively tracking a VR headset user’s eye. This is achieved by illuminating the eyeballs with near-IR light, which most people will never notice whatsoever. By using this method, Tobii an effectively make your VR avatar track movements in the same manner as your actual eyes do. While it is still a small aspect of how this technology is supposed to work, the potential is pretty huge.
Moreover, the technology developed by Tobii is found within Qualcomm’s latest prototype headset. It is also part of the new Snapdragon mobile-VR platform, which is pretty interesting. If this keeps up, mobile VR users will receive proper eye tracking well before owners of more expensive units do. That in itself would be a stunning development, albeit a positive one at the same time.
Assuming Tobii can deliver a product most consumers will be comfortable with, they may have found the proverbial golden egg on the VR market. Eye tracking has been a topic of discussion for some time now, without real progress being made. This technology is a lot closer to becoming commonplace than people assume.
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