The hazards of time travel may be greater than we imagined. If you do jump forward 100 years or so, be very careful what you look directly at. Perhaps by then this discarded idea will be revived.
The Rise and Fall of The Eye Tribe
The Eye Tribe, a Danish startup founded in 2011, developed innovative eye-tracking technology for mobile devices and computers. Their software allowed users to control devices with eye movements, offering hands-free navigation and interaction.
Key Developments
The company initially showed promise, receiving significant funding and attention:
- In 2012, they secured $2.3 million from the Danish National Advanced Technology Foundation and $1 million from private European investors.
- They led a $4.4 million government-funded project for developing eye-tracking technology for handheld devices.
- The Eye Tribe created the world’s smallest eye tracker device, measuring 20 × 1.9 × 1.9 cm.
Technology and Applications
The Eye Tribe’s technology used a camera and infrared LED to track eye movements, enabling various applications:
- Hands-free scrolling and navigation in web browsers and e-books
- Eye-controlled gaming (e.g., Fruit Ninja)
- Gaze-based security features
- Automatic screen dimming when looking away[1]
The End of The Eye Tribe
Despite initial success, The Eye Tribe’s journey as an independent company came to an end:
- On December 12, 2016, the company informed customers they were “going in a different direction” and stopping product development.
- On December 29, 2016, Facebook acquired The Eye Tribe for its Oculus division, aiming to incorporate the technology into VR gaming.
Legacy and Impact
While The Eye Tribe no longer operates independently, their work contributed to the advancement of eye-tracking technology in consumer electronics. The acquisition by Facebook suggests that their innovations continue to influence developments in virtual reality and eye-tracking interfaces.
You might usually never bet against human laziness, but in this case the investments morphed into something other than a “just look to control” page turner.
Read More
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Eye_Tribe
[2] https://github.com/EyeTribe/documentation
[3] https://theeyetribe.com
[4] https://theeyetribe.com/dev.theeyetribe.com/dev.theeyetribe.com/start/index.html
[5] https://theeyetribe.com/dev.theeyetribe.com/dev.theeyetribe.com/dev/index.html
[6] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6Y0MEIDN0w
[7] https://dispo.umich.edu/electronics-computers/the-eyetribe-development-kit-eye-tracker.html
[8] https://github.com/EyeTribe
