Patent — available for licensing
Computer-Brain Interface for Display Control
A NASA invention available to explore as a licensing opportunity.
About this technology
Overview
NASA has developed a novel brain-computer display interface to improve a user’s ability to interact with a computer by automatically and continuously locating the position of the user’s gaze on a computer display. This interaction can significantly increase the user’s ability to communicate with the computer and the systems the computer controls. Compared to commercial optical eye tracking devices, the NASA innovation relies on matching signals from the visual cortex region of the brain to invisible signals embedded in the display information to directly determine the location on the display where the user is looking. A few electrodes arranged over the back part of the user’s head are used to capture these brain signals. Importantly, the NASA innovation indicates eye gaze location only on the area of the display where the user is focused or paying attention, not simply where the user is looking. This technology may be paired with other eye gaze technology to provide robust gaze tracking without requiring the user to calibrate the gaze tracking system. The inventors developed this innovation specifically for aircraft and space vehicle cockpits where users rely heavily on computer display interaction but also have many other competing distractions and actions.