Eye Tracking History Summary

Eye tracking can be traced back to the 1800’s. At this early stage no technical equipment was used to track eye movement other than human observation.

In 1897 Louis Emile Javal’s eye tracking experiments concluded that humans do not read in smooth sweeping movements. However, the eye performs a series of short pauses and motions, this motion is known as a saccaded.

This development lead to further experimentation throughout the 1900’s regarding areas such as Why do our eyes stop? On which words to they pause? For what periods of time to we pause for? Etc. Technological advancements in the field led to Edmun Huey creating a primitive eye tracker that was a form of aluminium contact lens that enabled easier study of eye movement.

The technology progressed heavily by the 1950’s when American Guy Tomas Buswell projected beams of light onto the eye that were then recorded onto film in order to assist with the recording of eye movements.

A decade later Albert L. Yarbus published some of the most highly regarded work ever conducted in the filed. His 1967 book discussed the relationship between task and eye movement and also the relationship between fixation and interest.



Today eye tracking experiments are usually recorded by means of digital video based equipment. Often a camera focuses on either or both of the eyes and records the motion of the pupil and surround eye whilst the users views an object or other stimulus. Contrast is used to detect the center of the human eye where infrared light produces a reflection from the eyes corneal. Modern day eye tracking equipment is usually mounted to the subjects head, or is focused on the users eyes and held at a fixed point. In order to capture the most rapid eye movements possible video equipment is needed that can operate at 1000-1250Hz, in comparison a standard definition television runs at 60 or 100hz.