Argus Science ETVision User manual

ETVision
InstructionManual
MANUAL VERSION preliminary ver1.1
June, 2019
[email protected]
Web site: www.argusscience.com

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Table of Contents
1INTRODUCTION AND GENERAL SYSTEM DESCRIPTION...................................................................4
2ENVIRONMENTAL AND SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS ...........................................................................5
2.1 Statement on Safety Levels of Infrared Illumination.....................................................................................5
2.2 Safety Disclaimer...........................................................................................................................................5
3SYSTEM COMPONENTS .................................................................................................................................6
3.1 ETVision Wearable Optics.............................................................................................................................6
3.2 ETVision Controller.......................................................................................................................................8
3.3 ETVision PC ..................................................................................................................................................9
4INTERCONNECTIONS...................................................................................................................................10
5EYE TRACKING BASICS...............................................................................................................................14
6BASIC SYSTEM OPERATION.......................................................................................................................16
6.1 Charge Controller battery ............................................................................................................................16
6.2 Connect Controller to Wearable Optics Unit...............................................................................................16
6.3 Establish communication between Controller and ETVision application ....................................................17
6.3.1 Boot up Controller...............................................................................................................................17
6.3.2 Run the ETVision Application on the ETVision PC...........................................................................17
6.4 Position wearable optics unit on participant ................................................................................................18
6.5 Calibrate participant.....................................................................................................................................20
6.5.1 Perform Single Point Calibration........................................................................................................21
6.5.2 Add Calibration Points if Needed........................................................................................................22
6.6 Monitor gaze data and system status ...........................................................................................................25
6.6.1 Status Indicators..................................................................................................................................25
6.6.2 Left Eye and Right Eye windows........................................................................................................25
6.6.3 Scene Image window...........................................................................................................................25
6.6.4 Data Display window..........................................................................................................................26
6.6.5 Window Control...................................................................................................................................27
6.6.6 Manual offset correction......................................................................................................................28
6.6.7 Monitor Battery Charge.......................................................................................................................28
6.6.8 Audio....................................................................................................................................................28
6.7 Record data..................................................................................................................................................30
6.7.1 Record gaze data directly on ETV PC .................................................................................................30
6.7.2 Record video/audio data on micro SD card.........................................................................................33
6.7.3 Compute gaze data from an SD card file.............................................................................................36
6.8 Communicate in real-time with an external device......................................................................................37
6.8.1 Connecting to ETVision with ETRemote..............................................................................................39
6.8.2 Connecting to ETVision with a user created application ....................................................................41
7USING ETVISION SYSTEM OUTDOORS....................................................................................................42
8APPENDICIES..................................................................................................................................................44
8.1 Appendix A -- LED color codes..................................................................................................................44
8.2 Appendix B -- Calibration function details..................................................................................................46
8.3 Appendix C -- ETVision recorded and transmitted Data items....................................................................49
8.3.1 Data Item List ......................................................................................................................................49
8.3.2 Data Item Explanation.........................................................................................................................50

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8.4 Appendix D –System Control Table settings and Default values ...............................................................53
8.4.1 Eye Data tab........................................................................................................................................53
8.4.2 Video Source tab..................................................................................................................................54
8.4.3 Subject Calibration tab........................................................................................................................55
8.4.4 System Configuration tab.....................................................................................................................56
8.4.5 About Tab ............................................................................................................................................58
8.5 Appendix E -- Minimum specifications for ETVision PC and software installation instructions................59
8.5.1 PC specifications .................................................................................................................................59
8.5.2 ETVision software installation.............................................................................................................59
8.6 Appendix G –Removing HDMI cable from wearable optics......................................................................62
8.7 Appendix H -- SD Card Selection & Preparation........................................................................................63

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1Introduction and General System Description
ETVision (ETV) is a lightweight wearable system for measuring binocular point of gaze 180 times per
second.
The wearable unit resembles an eyeglasses frame that can be worn by itself or over the participant’s
prescription eyeglasses. It contains miniature “eye cameras” that view each eye and a “scene camera”
that views the scene in front of the participant, and a microphone. An optional visor can be mounted
to front of the headgear.
A cable extending from the earpiece connects to a small Controller (slightlylarger than a smart phone)
that easily fastens to an adjustable belt or can be held by the participant (or near the participant) in
some other way. The Controller holds a mico SD card for video and audio data recording, and
includes a rechargeable battery. It can also be powered directly from a DC power supply.
The ETVision system also includes a laptop PC that connects to the Controller in real-time via a LAN
cable or via WiFi. Alternately, the PC can read video and audio data from a microSD card previously
recorded by the wearable Controller. Note that by using the WiFi connection or recording to an SD
card for later data processing, the subject can be completely un-tethered while data recording takes
place.
An application running on the laptop PC uses the video images from the wearable cameras to compute
point-of-gaze with respect to a scene camera coordinate frame. The laptop can record the digital gaze
coordinates 180 times per second. This digital file also includes pupil diameter of each eye and other
feature detection measurements used as part of gaze computation.
In addition to recording a digital file, the PC application shows a real time display of the eye and scene
camera images and records these as wmv type video files. The 1280x720p scene image updates 30
times per second and includes a superimposed cursor showing the participant’s point of gaze in the
scene image. The scene video also includes audio from the head gear mic or a local mic. The eye
camera video displays include superimposed outlines and crosshairs to show proper recognition by the
system of eye image features.
The laptop PC can stream the 180 Hz, real-time, digital data to external devices via LAN, or stream
the real-time video scene image to external devices via LAN.
The Argus Science ETAnalysis application, usually included with the basic system, can be used to
play back and analyze gaze data recorded with ETVision. Detailed instructions for use of the
ETAnalysis application are provided in a separate manual.
An optional addition to the basic system, called ET3Space, uses head position and orientation data
from one of several third party motion tracking devices to compute gaze with respect to a room fixed
coordinate system and to determine point-of-gaze on multiple surfaces in the environment. This
optional feature is described in a separate manual.

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2Environmental and Safety Considerations
2.1 Statement on Safety Levels of Infrared Illumination
One of the most comprehensive and authoritative sources on the subject of light source safety is a
handbook entitled Safety with Lasers and Other Optical Sources, by David Sliney and Myron
Wolbarsht, first published in 1980 by Plenum Press. Quoting from page 147 of this book, “safe
chronic ocular exposure values, particularly to IR-A, probably are of the order of 10 mW/cm² or
below”. “IR-A” refers to the spectral band between 760 and 1400 nanometers, the range that includes
the Argus ETVision LEDs.
We are aware of no data, made available since the book was published, that would challenge this
conclusion. Most people might wish to be more conservative than the figure cited above, and the
ETVision illumination is at least an order of magnitude below this level. The largest irradiance value
that will be produced with the Argus ETVision optics is 0.75 mW/cm² (@ 870nm wavelength), at the
plane of the eye.
ETVison uses non-coherent illumination. There are no lasers in the headgear.
2.2 Safety Disclaimer
Argus Science LLC has taken due care in preparing this manual and accompanying
documentation including research, development and testing.
This manual reflects the state of Argus Science’s knowledge respecting the subject matter herein
at the time of its publication, and may not reflect the state of knowledge at all times in the future.
Argus Science has carefully reviewed this manual for technical accuracy. If errors are suspected,
the user should consult with Argus prior to proceeding. Argus Science makes no expressed or
implied warranty of any kind with regards to this manual or accompanying documentation.
Argus Science makes no representation, condition or warranty to the user or any other party with
respect to the adequacy of this manual or accompanying documents for any particular purpose or
with respect to its adequacy to produce a particular result. The ETVision systemis intended for
use in research conditions and Argus Science makes no declaration of suitability for safety
critical uses, including, but not limited to, clinical diagnoses, heavy machine operation or other
safety dependent activities.

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3System Components
ETVision headgear-- including eye cameras, scene camera, optional visor, and “
type-A-to-micro” HDMI cable.
ETVision Controller
ETVision PC
CAT 5 cable (for connecting ETV PC and Controller).
DC power supply for recharging (or directly powering) the Controller.
Micro SD card and adapter for use in Controller and ETVision PC.
3.1 ETVision Wearable Optics
The wearable optics unit resembles an eyeglasses frame that can be worn by itself or over the
participant’s prescription eyeglasses. It contains miniature “eye cameras” that view each eye and a
“scene camera” that views the scene in front of the participant, and a microphone. An optional visor
can be mounted to front of the headgear.
The left and right bottom sections of the frame each include a panel containing a camera and a pair of
LEDs. The panels rotate within an outer enclosure so that it is possible to adjust the camera vertical
aiming direction with respect to the optics frame. It is not usually necessary to adjust this position,

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and it is intended that be left in its standard position under most circumstances. (Consult Argus
Science if circumstances seem to require adjustmentof this position.)
The frame comes with three nosepieces that can be interchanged to adjust the vertical position of the
entire frame with respect to the face. To remove a nosepiece, simply pull the nosepiece horizontally
away from frame. Attach a nosepiece by pressing the two pins on the nosepiece into the mating holes
in the frame. The frame can also be worn with no nosepiece to position the frame at the lowest
possible position on the face.
The scene camera lens protrudes from the frame just above the nosepiece. Scene camera focus is
adjusted by rotating the lens. A microphone is located in the part of the frame that sits just above the
participant’s eyebrows.
An optional visor attaches and detaches from the frame by mating small slots at the upper corners of
the visor with small hooks on the frame.
An HDMI type cable extends from the right temple clamp (piece that extends from the temple to the
top of the ear). It connects to the frame with a micro HDMI connector in the temple clamp, but is
intended to be disconnected only if it necessary to replace the cable. Normally the cable should
remain connected to the frame. The other end of the cable has a standard type A HDMI connector and
connects to the ETVision Controller. The cable is a standard “type-A-to-micro” HDMI cable and
instructions for removing and replacing the cable are in Appendix G (section8.6).

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3.2 ETVision Controller
The ETVision Controller connects to the ETVision Wearable Optics with the HDMI cable extending
from the wearable optics frame. Besides the type A HDMI port, the Controller has a micro SD card
slot, a phono jack, a LAN port, a power supply connector, a power button and power LED, and a
record button and record LED. Both LEDs have multiple colors to indicate various possible states as
described in Appendix A (section8.1) of this manual.
The HDMI port accepts the type A HDMI connector from the ETVision Optics cable. A set screw on
the bottom of the Controller, directly under the HDMI port is used to secure the HDMI cable
connector after insertion.
The Controller can be connected to the ETVision Laptop using the LAN port and standard LAN cable,
or via Wifi. Alternately, the Controller can record video and audio data directly to a micro SD card.
If the Controller is connected to the ETVison Laptop, either with a LAN cable or Wifi, audio from the
microphone on the optics frame is transmitted to the application on the Laptop, and audio from the
Laptop microphone is transmitted to the phono jack on the Controller. If headphones or earbuds are
connected to the Controller phono jack and worn by the participant, this enables two way
communication with someone near the laptop.

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An adjustable belt supplied with system threads through two removable “loops” on the Controller
Case and can be used hold the Controller on the participant's waist. The Controller “loops” are each
attached to the case with two screws. The screws can be loosened to remove or install the belt.
The Controller contains a Lithium Polymer battery. The battery charges whenever the provided DC
power supply is connected to the Controller power connector and plugged into an AC socket. The
power unit supplied with the system is equipped with the appropriate AC adapter for the AC power
specifications of the intended destination country. The system can be run using the DC power supply
even when the battery is fully discharged, however the battery will charge most rapidly when the
system is idle. When fully charged the battery will power the system for about 5 hours when all
system features are being used. The battery will recharge in about 4.5 hours when the system is idle.
3.3 ETVision PC
ETVision systems usually include a laptop PC running Windows 10 (“ETV PC”). When supplied by
Argus Science, as part of the ETVision system, the ETVison software application is pre-installed by
Argus Science. If the ETVision PC (“ETV PC”) is not supplied by Argus Science see Appendix E
(section 8.5) for required PC specifications and software installation instructions.
The ETV PC laptop includes WiFi capability, a LAN port, USB ports, and an SD card slot. The
ETVision system uses micro SD cards. Micro SD cards must be placed in a micro-to-standard SD
card adapter before inserting in the SD card slot on the ETV PC.
If the ETVision PC was supplied by Argus Science as part of the ETVision system, the ETVision
application will be set to “load as administrator”, and both the ethernet and WiFi will be set to obtain
IPv4 address automatically. The PC should automatically connect to the controller via the LAN port
if a cable is connected or via WiFi if a cable is not connected. If the ETVision PC was not supplied
with the system, or if the ETVision app is reset to not have administrator privileges, see Appendix E
for LAN setup instructions.

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4Interconnections
Basic ETVision System Interconnections
(headphones not normally supplied as part of ETV system)