Gaze Estimation with Imperceptible Marker Displayed Dynamically using Polarization

Conventional eye-tracking methods require NIR-LEDs at the corners and edges of displays as references. However, extensive eyeball rotation results in the loss of reflections. Therefore, we propose imperceptible markers that can be dynamically displayed using liquid crystals. Using the characteristics of polarized light, the imperceptible markers are shown on a screen as references for eye-tracking. Additionally, the marker positions can be changed using the eyeball pose in the previous frame. The point-of-gaze was determined using the imperceptible markers based on model-based eye gaze estimation. The accuracy of the estimated PoG obtained using the imperceptible marker was approximately 1.69°, higher than that obtained using NIR-LEDs. Through experiments, we confirmed the feasibility and effectiveness of relocating imperceptible markers on the screen.