Research

We are investigating what drives human attention and eye-movement behaviour when observing moving images. Our goal is to develop a comprehensive theory of active visual perception and cognition. Questions which motivate this research include:

  • How do we look at film, television, on-line video or real-life events?
  • How does looking influence what we see, remember and feel?

The technology
Using state-of-the-art facilities in the Department of Psychology at Edinburgh University, the eye-tracking data we are collecting includes the X and Y coordinates for each eye per millisecond in combination with a range of eye-movement measures. For each person, this produces over 1000 lines of data (in eight columns) per second! To analyse this output, a tool called Computational Algorithms for Representation and Processing of Eye-movements (CARPE) has been developed. CARPE can create dynamic heatmaps (like the image in the top left corner of this page) which visually represent a cluster analysis of where people are looking. These results are shown in our videos, which were produced by CARPE. The software also quantifies this behaviour, allowing us to determine the various visual features and events that lead to a stronger consensus on where to look (a tighter cluster) amongst viewers.

The Edinburgh DIEM database
Around two hundred volunteers have already participated in the project, and the numbers are growing. The corpus being generated will offer insights pertinent to a range of academic and end-users, covering topics such as psychology, computer vision, advertising and film studies. Keep an eye out for our forthcoming publications in peer-reviewed academic journals and regular updates to this website.


Leverhulme
esrc

The DIEM Project is generously funded by the Leverhulme Trust and the Economic and Social Research Council.

The University of Edinburgh is a charitable body, registered in Scotland, with registration number SC005336.