Ocular Video Stabilization via Eye-Gaze Intersection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing video stabilization techniques for head-mountable devices (HMDs) are computationally expensive and unreliable, as they rely on ancillary measurements or analytical modeling of camera motion, whereas user eye motion and gaze direction provide a natural and accurate basis for correcting camera motion during video capture.
Innovation Solution
A method using eye-tracking technology to determine the user's convergent gaze direction, which is then mapped to the image plane of a forward-facing camera, allowing for real-time or post-capture stabilization of video images by compensating for camera motion, thereby stabilizing the video footage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If existing video stabilization techniques using ancillary measurements or analytical modeling are used, then video stabilization can be achieved, but the computational cost is high and reliability is low
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex computational mechanics-based stabilization (ancillary measurements and analytical modeling) with a biological-inspired optical-mechanical system using eye-tracking. The eye-tracking device captures natural eye motion, which directly indicates the user's intended gaze direction, eliminating the need for complex computational models to predict or correct camera motion.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the user's own eye motion as the stabilization reference, making the system self-calibrating and inherently reliable. The eye-tracking device continuously monitors the user's natural gaze, providing real-time feedback that automatically compensates for head and camera motion without requiring external calibration or complex processing.
2Measurement precision
If eye-tracking technology is used to determine gaze direction, then video stabilization accuracy is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The eye-tracking device serves multiple functions: it captures the user's gaze direction for stabilization, provides feedback for rendering adjustments, and enables natural interaction with the augmented reality environment. This multi-functionality justifies the added device complexity by providing multiple benefits from a single component.
Solution Approach 2:
The eye-tracking device acts as an intermediary between the user's natural gaze and the digital content rendering. It translates biological eye motion into computational signals that guide both video stabilization and augmented reality object positioning, creating a seamless bridge between human intent and machine response.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for ocular stabilization of video images is disclosed. While capturing video images in a forward field of view with a forward-facing video camera of a wearable head-mountable device (HMD), binocular eye-gaze directions of left and right eyes of a user of the HMD may be obtained with an eye-tracking device of the HMD. Based on the obtained binocular eye-gaze directions of left and right eyes of the user of the HMD, convergent gaze directions of the user may be determined as a function of time during an interval concurrent with the capturing of the video images. The captured video images may then be stabilized by compensating for motion of the forward-facing video camera with an intersection of the convergent gaze directions of the user with an image plane of the forward-facing video camera.