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| New adverts 'could track your eyes' in supermarkets | New adverts 'could track your eyes' in supermarkets |
| (2 days later) | |
| An advertising system which is able to track your eye movements while you shop has been created by researchers based at Lancaster University. | An advertising system which is able to track your eye movements while you shop has been created by researchers based at Lancaster University. |
| The Sideways project uses software to locate faces and eye movements of shoppers captured on camera. | The Sideways project uses software to locate faces and eye movements of shoppers captured on camera. |
| It could allow for video screens which change adverts depending on what you look at in a shop. | It could allow for video screens which change adverts depending on what you look at in a shop. |
| The team told the BBC they hoped the technology would be in use in shops within five years. | The team told the BBC they hoped the technology would be in use in shops within five years. |
| The technology can also be used to allow people to use their eyes to control content on screens, such as scrolling through items on a list. | The technology can also be used to allow people to use their eyes to control content on screens, such as scrolling through items on a list. |
| "The system uses a single ordinary camera that is placed close to the screen," explained senior researcher Andreas Bulling. "So we don't need any additional equipment. | "The system uses a single ordinary camera that is placed close to the screen," explained senior researcher Andreas Bulling. "So we don't need any additional equipment. |
| "The system detects the faces of people walking by and calculates where the eyes are relative to the eye corners." | "The system detects the faces of people walking by and calculates where the eyes are relative to the eye corners." |
| Stumbling block | Stumbling block |
| Mr Bulling has worked on the project with fellow researchers Hans Gellersen and Yanxia Zhang from Lancaster's School of Computing and Communications. | Mr Bulling has worked on the project with fellow researchers Hans Gellersen and Yanxia Zhang from Lancaster's School of Computing and Communications. |
| Existing eye-tracking technologies tend to require a lengthy set-up process, a problem which is not an issue with Sideways. | |
| "With normal systems you always have to calibrate the tracker to the specific user," he explained to the BBC. | "With normal systems you always have to calibrate the tracker to the specific user," he explained to the BBC. |
| "Calibration is a major stumbling block for interactive gaze-based applications at the moment because people always have to go through this calibration procedure - it's time-consuming and annoying." | "Calibration is a major stumbling block for interactive gaze-based applications at the moment because people always have to go through this calibration procedure - it's time-consuming and annoying." |
| In a video demonstrating the system, one example for potential use is a shopper scrolling through album covers in a music shop. | In a video demonstrating the system, one example for potential use is a shopper scrolling through album covers in a music shop. |
| Hot topic | Hot topic |
| Eye-tracking is starting to become more commonplace within popular technology products. | Eye-tracking is starting to become more commonplace within popular technology products. |
| One company, Tobii, has been backed by the likes of IBM and has shown off prototypes of a gaze-controlled television. | One company, Tobii, has been backed by the likes of IBM and has shown off prototypes of a gaze-controlled television. |
| Last month, Samsung launched its latest flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S4. It monitors whether the user is looking at the device by tracking eye movement. | Last month, Samsung launched its latest flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S4. It monitors whether the user is looking at the device by tracking eye movement. |
| "Eye-tracking is definitely something that is currently a hot topic," said Mr Bulling. | "Eye-tracking is definitely something that is currently a hot topic," said Mr Bulling. |
| "It is really gaining momentum. I fully expect this technology to become available widely in the near future." | "It is really gaining momentum. I fully expect this technology to become available widely in the near future." |
| However, as with many new technologies designed to learn more about how we act, concerns over privacy are likely to arise as the systems are rolled out. | However, as with many new technologies designed to learn more about how we act, concerns over privacy are likely to arise as the systems are rolled out. |
| "I guess it always depends how this information is used," Mr Bulling said. | "I guess it always depends how this information is used," Mr Bulling said. |
| "If the system is only there to improve the shopping experience, customers will probably be fine with such a system. | "If the system is only there to improve the shopping experience, customers will probably be fine with such a system. |
| "If it's a more passive monitoring system of gaze-information, so the user is not aware of it, this could really have considerable privacy challenges." | "If it's a more passive monitoring system of gaze-information, so the user is not aware of it, this could really have considerable privacy challenges." |
| Follow Dave Lee on Twitter @DaveLeeBBC | Follow Dave Lee on Twitter @DaveLeeBBC |
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