This University of Salford article takes a look at the Eye Catcher project, led by Professor Dave Roberts, that could enable industry professionals to follow and look into each other's eyes as they communicate and move around in a shared virtual space. From the article: "University researchers have developed the word's first virtual reality system enabling industry professionals to follow and look into each other's eyes as they communicate and move around in a shared virtual space - even on other sides of the world.
Led by Salford University, the project will, for the first time, allow people in cyberspace to see what other avatars, or virtual reality representations of themselves, are looking at - and even catch their eye.
The technology involves a small camera fixed within users' headsets which tracks the movement of their eyes and translates it into the positioning of the virtual reality avatars' eyes.
Salford University's Professor Dave Roberts said: "This development is a major step forward in virtual reality and will help to improve non-verbal communication between virtual characters interacting in the same space but on different sides of the world.
"Psychologists agree that eye contact is essential in developing trust. Previously, people interacting in virtual reality could see what another person looked like and what they were doing, but it was impossible to tell if they had their attention. This is all set to change with our new technology."
The Eye Catcher project is part funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Council (EPSRC) and is a collaboration between four universities, with Salford the lead, and four private companies. With the prototype technology already developed, the team is about to start testing and eventually hopes to roll out the system for market.
Dave said: "As we move into a more global economy, and as the cost and ecological impact of travelling increases, there is more need than ever for industry to collaborate in virtual spaces on different sides of the world.
"The project is in two parts - building the system, which is close to completion, and seeing if it helps people work together across a distance, which we will do over the next year. We are currently looking for volunteers to be part of these tests and we're urging anyone interested to get in touch.""