KTU researcher: modern technologies help conduct more accurate eye-tracking research

Eye-tracking technology helps to perform cognitive research and is a way to assess learning and translating strategies or reading peculiarities. Cognitive research contributes to various scientific milestones, although it has limitations, which can be overcome by the newest technologies.

The experience in eye-tracking research allowed scientists at the Kaunas University of Technology, Faculty of Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities (KTU FSSAH) to realise that the data of eye-tracking research can contain many errors (also called artefacts) due to blinking or movements of the eyes.

“We observed that false conclusions can be made due to the incorrect interpretation of artefacts. Therefore, the data analysis becomes complicated or even impossible,” says the researcher at KTU FSSAH and an Associate Professor Dr. Laura Daniusevičiūtė-Brazaitė.

To solve this problem and contribute to the development of science, the researchers applied to renew infrastructure and won a competition funding the electroencephalography (EEG) equipment for research. This equipment will complement the research where eye-tracking equipment is used at the Faculty of Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities.

In pursuance of more comprehensive research

“The combination of EEG and eye-tracking research is getting popular among researchers because it allows them to conduct more detailed research, provide more accurate data within the researched field, and avoid artefacts,” – says the researcher. The combination of eye-tracking technology and EEG methods is more widely applied to educology, communication, sociology, translation, and philology research.

The eye-tracking research conducted at the Faculty of Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities assesses the efficiency of information processing, the structure and speed of object recognition, and identifies learning strategies. For example, when undergoing text or translation reading tasks, the aim is to identify which text errors or peculiarities of Lithuanian language are challenging for the readers.

“Combining EEG and eye-tracking technologies would allow us to assess the visual attention and give constructive feedback that is oriented towards individual development while implementing AI tools in learning processes,” – says Daniusevičiūtė-Brazaitė.

EEG is a non-invasive test that measures the electrical activity of the brain. During the test, the electrical oscillations of the brain are recorded. The oscillations occur as the result of the physiological processes between the individual brain cells, whose electrical state or changes help the brain process information. The currents of neurons combine to form the superimposed voltage shifts that can be recorded.

Raising popularity of Lithuanian science

“The participance of faculty’s researchers in interdisciplinary and international research, which will use EEG and eye-tracking equipment, will allow them to share their knowledge, aim for co-creation, and conduct comparative studies and publications. It can also raise awareness of Lithuania’s researchers and their work, allow their establishment and international networking in education science, communication, sociology, philology, and other fields,” says Daniusevičiūtė-Brazaitė.

Researchers can conduct their research faster and easier with EEG and eye-tracking equipment. It would also strengthen the national and regional leadership, educate citizens and encourage their trust in Lithuania’s researchers as equal members of the international scientific community and science in general.