The visual experience dataset: Over 200 recorded hours of integrated eye movement, odometry, and egocentric video
Michelle R. Greene, Benjamin Balas, Mark D. Lescroart, Paul R. MacNeilage, Jennifer Anne Hart, Kamran Binaee, Peter Hausamann, Ronald Mezile, Bharath Shankar, Christian Sinnott, Kaylie Jacleen Capurro, Savannah Halow, Hunter Howe, Mariam Josyula, Annie D. R. Li, Abraham Mieses, Amina Mohamed, Ilya Nudnou, Ezra Parkhill, Peter J. Riley · Journal of Vision · 2024
We introduce the Visual Experience Dataset (VEDB), a compilation of more than 240 hours of egocentric video combined with gaze- and head-tracking data that offer an unprecedented view of the visual world as experienced by human observers. The dataset consists of 717 sessions, recorded by 56 observers ranging from 7 to 46 years of age. This article outlines the data collection, processing, and labeling protocols undertaken to ensure a representative sample and discusses the potential sources of error or bias within the dataset. The VEDB's potential applications are vast, including improving gaze-tracking methodologies, assessing spatiotemporal image statistics, and refining deep neural networks for scene and activity recognition. The VEDB is accessible through established open science platforms and is intended to be a living dataset with plans for expansion and community contributions. It is released with an emphasis on ethical considerations, such as participant privacy and the mitigation of potential biases. By providing a dataset grounded in real-world experiences and accompanied by extensive metadata and supporting code, the authors invite the research community to use and contribute to the VEDB, facilitating a richer understanding of visual perception and behavior in naturalistic settings.