Long-range Eye Tracker Enables Selling Ads 'By The Eyeball'

Long-range Eye Tracker Enables Selling Ads 'By The Eyeball'

Science Daily — A Queen’s University Computing professor’s invention – recently unveiled at Google’s corporate headquarters in California – provides a unique, affordable way for advertisers to track the effectiveness of their messages by measuring how many people are looking at their billboards and screens.

Called eyebox2™, the portable device uses a camera that monitors eye movements in real time and automatically detects when you are looking at it from up to 10 meters away, without calibration. Until now, such eye-trackers have been ineffective beyond 60 centimeters, required people to remain stationary, needed personalized calibration to function, and cost more than $25,000 US. By contrast, the new walk-up-and-use eye is offered at a fraction of that cost.

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“Our technology allows interactive real-time “Flow of Attention” measures of customers in the real world. This allows ambient ads run in malls literally to be sold ‘by the eyeball,” says Dr. Vertegaal. “It enables brick-and-mortar stores such as Wal-mart and Sears to use a revenue model similar to Google’s online PageRank and web analytics technologies.”

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/05/070513084620.htm

I only purchase what I need to begin with. And, when I need it, then I either turn to Consumer Reports (if it's a big ticket item) or I use something tried and true (for example, I have my fifth Mustang sitting in the garage. I like them. They're reliable and last for years with low maintenance. My last one went 10 years without even needing brakes.)

If neither of those works, I ask friends and relatives what brand they would buy of whatever it is I'm needing. I've had to purchase a lot of new baby items of late and I used updated versions of the same items I used for my son that were effective and avoided those that weren't. I didn't look at ads to make purchases.

I rarely watch TV and I skip ads in magazines. I simply don't pay attention to them.

I guess this technology would tell them who's more gullible, I suppose.

... was one that was just so pathetically inept that I went and bought their product (all 20 cents worth) because I felt sorry for them. But I guess it worked.

Personally, I'm a shopper who knows what she wants, goes into the stupid store, looks for it, and leaves immediately if she can't find it and goes to another store. I don't look at posters--only look at signs directing me to the department I'm looking for, such as shoes or books or towels.

Doesn't mean I'm going to buy.

For example, I love the Mac ads (I'm a Mac and I'm a PC). As I'm using my TiVo to zoom through ads, if I catch what looks like a new Mac ad, I stop and watch it. That doesn't mean I'll ever BUY a Mac, no matter how amusing I find their ads.

Bushco will be all over this.