IOTA: IOTA-Intelligent Object Tracking and Analysis using Smart Sensor Technology

• Research unit: EU RFP
• Project number: 95.0849

Key words (English)

Sensomotoric Instrument GmbH (D); IVP-Integrated Vision Product AB (S); Klinikum Benjamin Franklin; Freie Universität Berlin (D); Universitat Jaume I (E)

Alternative project number (English)

EU project number: EP 21007

Research programs (English)

EU-programme: 4. Frame Research Programme - 1.3 Telematic systems

Short description (English)

See abstract

Partners and International Organizations (English)

Smart CMOS sensor, 3D vestibulo-oculography, eye tracker, eye guided surgery

Abstract (English)

Central to the project is the exploitation of present state-of-the-art VLSI technology to develop a high-resolution smart sensor chip. Utilising current sub-micron CMOS processes this would yield a chip design with a pixel density of > 512² Based on the existent smart sensor technology developed by IVP, this concept will permit sampling rates of up to 1000 images per second.
This sensor has been developed and built under the name of MAPP 2500 with a 512² pixel number and a frame rate up to 2000 frames/sec for simple operation such as edge detection and 250 frames/second for higher level algorithm such as center of gravity finding.
This sensor is dedicated for quick detection of areas of interest in an image. Typically the detection of the pupil of the eye can result in a fast and accurate eye tracker. Two systems have been developed for further implementation of the IOTA sensor in eye tracking:
-Ophtalmological measurements by means of eye image processing (3-Dimentionnal vestibulo-oculography: 3D VOG). Rigorous measurements of the rotation along the three principal axes are useful for strabismus characterization and diagnosis to use as pre- and post-surgery control mechanism. This application has been developed by SMI to demonstrate the technical and market potential of 3D VOG and illustrate a major application area for the novel smart camera technology.
-Laser microsurgery assistance with implementation of eye driven functionality on an operating microscope by accurate gaze detection. A prototype microscope has been built at the IOA-EPFL to demonstrate that eye guidance can be a robust and precise tool in laser microsurgery. This prototype features real-time (50Hz) laser guidance, precise focussing at the point of regard of the surgeon and access to in-microscope computer display controlled by the eye. This eye guided microscope prototype shows already good quality eye-tracking with a standard CCD camera. However the precision, the sturdiness and the speed of the tracking will be improved with the use of the smart IOTA sensor.

References in databases (English)

Swiss Database: Euro-DB of the
State Secretariat for Education and Research
Hallwylstrasse 4
CH-3003 Berne, Switzerland
Tel. [phone]
Swiss Project-Number: 95.0849