Eye Movement Driven Head-Mounted Camera: It Looks Where the Eyes Look

Abstract

A first proof of concept was developed for a head-mounted video camera system that is continuously aligned with the user's orientation of gaze. Eye movements are tracked by video-oculography and used as signals to drive servo motors that rotate the camera. Thus, the sensorimotor output of a biological system for the control of eye movements - evolved over millions of years s used to move an artificial eye. All the capabilities of multi-sensory processing for eye, head, and surround motions are detected by the vestibular, visual, and somatosensory systems and used to drive a technical camera system. A camera guided in this way mimics the natural exploration of a visual scene and acquires video sequences from the perspective of a mobile user, while the vestibulo-ocular reflex naturally stabilizes the "gaze-in-space" of the camera during head movements and locomotion. Various applications in health care, industry, and research are conceivable.