Marketing Students at Ohio State Introduced to Eye Tracking Technology

Undergraduate students in the School of Communication at Ohio State University recently got a unique introduction to the science of eye tracking in a recent presentation given by two instructors at Applied Science Laboratory (ASL). ASL is the worlds leading developer of eye tracking technology.

Bedford, MA (PRWEB) May 19, 2005 -- Undergraduate students in the School of Communication at Ohio State University recently got a unique introduction to the science of eye tracking in a recent presentation given by two instructors at Applied Science Laboratory (ASL). ASL is the worlds leading developer of eye tracking technology.

We wanted to make them aware that they could use eye tracking technology to analyze a web page, for example, and evaluate not only the appeal of the content, but also the functionality and effectiveness of its design based upon how viewers examine a page, how long they view certain elements of the page, and where the viewers eye travels and fixates in the course of seeing a page for the first time" said Virginia Salem, ASLs Director of Customer Relations. One use, she said, might be to help determine if banner ad placement influences attention and/or behavioral differences.

The same evaluation techniques can be applied to print media and advertising as well. Knowledge of eye tracking gives students marketable skills that they can take with them to a marketing or advertising agency and be able to apply it to visual and graphics design principles. Its an up and coming science" Salem says, with many applications across a wide variety of industries such as medical and aerospace as well as marketing studies."

The course, entitled Investigating Communication through Interactive Technologies" was developed by Professor Matthew S. Eastin, Ph.D., and utilized a remote eye tracking system manufactured by ASL. Developing this class and working with ASL has been great," Eastin says. This class gives students unique research opportunities. The eye-tracking unit has been a great way to demonstrate how people search through information online. Through this class and working with ASL, students have begun to develop the skills needed to work with eye-tracking units in and outside the academic setting. This quarter we have a student using the eye-tracker to see how images influence recall when reading a news story online. Looking to future use, Eastin anticipates students will use eye-tracking to better understand how and what information video game players attend to during game play."

ASL manufactures two different types of eye tracking systems, head-mounted systems for use in situations where the subject must have unrestricted head movement, and remote video eye tracking systems for use in situations where head mounted optics are not necessary and the stimulus presented to the subject is limited to a single surface, such as a computer screen. The University owns a remote unit, which is typically mounted on a desk beside, for example, a computer monitor, and tracks the subjects eye movements as the monitor is viewed.

Eye tracking systems have a wide range of medical research applications and could have significant potential for early detection and treatment of various disorders. Eye tracking systems provide an important design evaluation and research tool for computer displays used in aviation, aerospace, defense and industry. Applications include design of simulators, computer displays and control panels used in air traffic facilities, aircraft and cockpits, vehicles and complex manufacturing displays. Other important applications in communications technology encompass advertising, packaging and publication design, software development and complex traffic signals and signs.

Applied Science Laboratories has been a pioneer in the examination of the human eyes movements and pupil dynamics for over 30 years. ASL was the first company to develop a head-mounted eye tracker, eye/head integration, parallax-free optics, and many other features that are industry standard. ASLs current range of computer-based eye movement measurement equipment has eye-tracking applications in moving vehicles, sports, WEB design, pupilometry and many more. ASL currently has tracking systems in the fields of medicine, cognitive psychology, training, simulation, biomechanics and human factors research. For more information, visit www.a-s-l.com or contact the company at 175 Middlesex Turnpike, Bedford, Massachusetts, 01730 USA, Tel. (781) 275-4000 Fax. (781) 275-3388.

# # #