Using a test battery to compare three remote, video-based eye-trackers
Lisa Spitzer, Stefanie Mueller · 2022
A multitude of eye-trackers are available differing in cost and usability. Accuracy and precision provide a benchmark for performance, however, parameters given by manufacturers are often recorded under perfect conditions and may not apply to lab conditions with human subjects. This preregistered study compared three remote eye-trackers under realistic lab conditions: The high-cost EyeLink 1000+, the medium-cost Tobii Pro X3-120, and the low-cost Gazepoint GP3 HD Desktop. Participants (N = 25) completed an extensive test battery twice with each device. Parameters were compared within-subjects using robust linear mixed models. The EyeLink performed better than the Tobii Pro X3-120 and GP3 HD in most categories (accuracy EyeLink: 0.436°; Tobii Pro X3-120: 1.22°; GP3 HD: 1.03°), however, with suboptimal head positions, the Tobii Pro X3-120’s and GP3 HD's accuracies equaled or exceeded the EyeLink's. Tobii Pro X3-120 and GP3 HD performed comparably. Benchmark information, obtained under various realistic recording conditions, is provided for each device.