There is always an ideal user interface for every technology product. Only when human-machine interaction becomes intuitive and easy to operate can this product become a part of everyday life. "The user interface for computers is a mouse, and for smartphones it's a touchscreen. We believe the best user interface for AR/VR products is our eyes," said Shao-Yi Chien, the founder of Ganzin Technology and professor at the NTU Graduate Institute of Electronics Engineering.

Recognizing that AR/VR will be the next revolution that transforms people's life, after computers and smartphones, tech giants such as Microsoft, Facebook, Google, Magic Leap, Sony, and HTC have dived into the development of AR/VR devices. However, most of the products still rely on handheld controllers, which are very user-unfriendly. As a result, VR/AR developers have been aggressively seeking new technologies to develop new user interfaces.

Ganzin Technology has put a lot of effort into developing eye tracking technology, to enable AR/VR users to control devices with their eyes or view the information of an object when they look at it, thus releasing their hands for other tasks. It is possible that in the near future, assembly line workers in a factory can browse and exchange information of the object they are assembling and operating using an AR/VR headset, allowing AR/VR devices to create more value and improve work efficiency.

The Aurora eye tracker module, Ganzin Technology's first-generation product, can precisely track eye movements. More importantly, it features ultra-low power consumption which consumes only one-sixth of the power of its competitors. Once the battery is fully charged, it will run for 12 hours consecutively, supplying enough power for a full day of activity. Also, the Aurora is light-source agnostic and can be used both indoors and outdoors, significantly increasing its usability. With a small form factor, the module can be placed on the frame of any smart glasses or AR/VR headsets.

Shao-Yi Chien adds that eye tracking technology has not been widely adopted in AR/VR devices, with Microsoft being the only company that plans to mass-produce this technology on its HoloLens 2. In addition to gaining a foothold in the manufacturing and gaming industries, Shao-Yi Chien has identified four key applications for eye tracking technology, including market hotspot analysis, medical treatment, educational training, and mobility aids. For example, eye tracking can be used to check the speed of pupillary constriction during medical treatment to inspect eye or brain diseases. It can also be applied in educational training to ensure students follow standard procedures before working online. As for the application in mobility aids, eye tracking technology enables patients diagnosed with a stroke or cerebral palsy to communicate with people.

"Just like 15 years ago, when no one thought everyone would have a smartphone, who can be sure the world will not be dominated by AR/VR devices and smart glasses after 10 years?" said Shao-Yi Chien, who strongly believes that eye tracking technology, if combined with the right applications, will change users' habits and ultimately replace smartphones.

SOURCE Taiwan Tech Arena