Abstract (Long paper)

Keywords: Eye tracking, 3D sculpture, virtual avatars, 3D scanning, rapid prototyping, subsurface etching.

Technology has been used to assist in communication and concept development by artists, designers/inventors, engineers, clients, manufacturers and others.  The use of technology to aid artists capture what they see has been used since the Renaissance with the introduction of the camera lucida and the camera obscura. A modern method to assist in capturing how people see is to use eye tracking technology. The data collected from eye tracking experiments is widely believed to reflect what within the viewing space is being assessed. The analysis of this data can be output in statistical form, or as 2D graphic overlays placed on top of flat images. The innovation described in this paper is the application of a new methodology developed to allow quantitative eye tracking data to be used as a basis to create 3D sculptural forms. This paper is structured with first a brief explanation of eye tracking, leading to the description of the new 3D eye tracking methodology. The results from the test and the final output are reviewed in the analysis including the lessons learned and the possible areas for improvement.

• Kevin S. Badni, is the Head of Art and Design, in the College of Architecture, Art and Design at the American University of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates. His terminal degree is in Multimedia, awarded by De Montfort University in the UK. Before becoming an academic he spent ten years working in the design industry including managing the UK’s first commercial Virtual Reality center. Beyond teaching design and multimedia courses, Kevin’s interests in New Media Art have manifested in a number of related academic journal papers, conference paper presentations and had his art exhibited in galleries in the UK, Australia and the UAE. Kevin’s main area of interest is the personal perceptions of vision, using augmented, virtual reality and eye tracking tools to create engaging art pieces.

Full text (PDF) p. 493-500