Plotting Eye Tracking Data in Space-Time Cubes

My latest poster presentation will be at IEEE VIS 2017, Phoenix Arizona, October 1-6 (2017).

Abstract— It is challenging to visualize the time component of eye-tracking data.  Scanpaths can show where a single user looked, and in what order, but multiple users’ scanpaths can easily overwhelm viewers.  This paper’s approach shows larger trends without hiding short duration fixations.  Each user’s fixations are plotted in a separate space-time cube, where fixation x- & y-coordinates are plotted normally, but the z-axis is used to represent time.  The fixations are joined by a line, which is color-coded when it intersects areas of interest (AOIs).  The resulting cubes, one per user, are then placed into a 3-dimensional space side-by-side.  The result can be viewed close up to see an individual user’s gaze, or zoomed out to see larger patterns.  When viewed from above, the result looks similar to Sparklines.  This design is demonstrated on the eye movements of users watching training videos.  It is able to show patterns not visible through other techniques.