Eyes for Information, Communication, and Understanding

Project Information

Eyes4ICU

Grant agreement ID: 101072410

DOI

10.3030/101072410

EC signature date 7 July 2022

Start date 1 September 2022

End date 28 February 2027

Funded under

• Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)

Total cost

No data

EU contribution

€ 2 605 759,20

Coordinated by

UNIVERSITAET ULM
Germany

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - Eyes4ICU (Eyes for Information, Communication, and Understanding)

Reporting period: 2022-09-01 to 2024-08-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

Gaze is an important communication channel to be captured remotely which works even without language. It thus holds great potential for universal inclusive technologies. Eyes for information, communication, and understanding (Eyes4ICU) explores novel forms of gaze interaction that rely on current psychological theories and findings, computational modeling, as well as expertise in highly promising application domains. Its approach of developing inclusive technology by tracing gaze interaction back to its cognitive and affective foundations (a psychological challenge) results in better models to predict user behavior (a computational challenge). By integrating insights in application fields, gaze-based interaction can be employed in the wild. Accordingly, the proposed research is divided into three areas, namely Understanding Users, Gaze Communication, and Gaze tracking in the wild.

Consequently, the consortium is composed of groups working in psychological, computing, and application fields. All Beneficiaries are experts in using eye tracking in their respective areas ensuring best practices and optimal facilities for research and training. A variety of Associated Partners from the whole chain of eye tracking services ensures for applicability, practical relevance, and career opportunities by contributing to supervision, training, and research. This will advance communication by eye tracking as a field and result in European standards for gaze-based communication in a variety of domains disseminated through research and application.

Further information is available on https://www.eyes4icu.eu/

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

All three areas are pursued from three different perspectives: a psychological empirical perspective, a computational modeling perspective, and an application perspective, ensuring a unified and aligned progress and concept. Data sets already collected focus on various settings such as face-to-face interaction or selecting videos, based on which algorithms have been developed, and application set-ups such as heavy machine operating or travel recommendations have been established. Along these lines, training which took part at already two winter schools and within three online seminar series, is also divided into three main foci of Empirical Research Methods, Computational Modeling, and Transferable Skills.
The project resulted already in 11 publications and even more submissions of manuscripts in highly recognized international publication organs which describe potential implications for theory development and for technological improvements. All Doctoral Candidates made already very clear progress. The interdisciplinary nature of the Doctoral Network, a variety of field-specific conference visits, and close collaborations with our non-academic partners offering eye-tracking services along the whole supply-chain, this all ensures that DCs can develop their own networks already early during their careers. Scientific success of the Doctoral Candidates is reflected in the outstanding high number of publications as well as successfully passed interim evaluations for PhD examinations.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

Work in Eyes4ICU already has prepared the ground for further developments, such as advancements in modeling gaze data, which in turn helps to improve designing interaction in virtual environments. The development of setups allowing for dual eye tracking data collection have been examined and are used also elsewhere. The understanding of behavioral coordination among two persons will in turn advance the field of understanding interaction of humans and can be transfered to other contexts, such as interaction of humans with other living organisms (such as animals) as well as of humans and technology (e.g. machines, robots, avatars).