Tobii, the Sweden-based tech company is known for developing innovative eye-tracking technology dedicated to gaming, behavioral research, healthcare, as well as augmented and virtual reality. Now, they are reportedly expanding into new markets of automotive systems.
The Sweden-based company has been a leading brand for making eye-tracking technology since its inception 20 years ago. They have successfully provided cutting-edge eye-tracking solutions for a variety of industrial and professional applications and thus, have established an impeccable reputation in the fields of AR and VR technology. Their latest endeavor is targeted at the automobile industry, where they aim to develop an automotive Driver Monitoring System. The automotive system will reportedly have the capabilities of tracking several aspects, such as the drivers’ alertness on road.
Anand Srivatsa
The major part of this Driver Monitoring System has been developed from the work of Anand Srivatsa, the current CEO of Tobii Tech division. Before joining the company in 2019, he has worked in Intel for 15 long years. As Tobii is set to spin off its Dynavox medical division on the Stockholm NASDAQ public market, Srivatsa is said to take over the two remaining divisions of the company, namely Tobii Pro and Tobii Tech. The former is responsible for developing eye-tracking solutions utilized for understanding human behavior as well as improving performance. The transaction is still pending. However, Tobii Group has recently announced that the company is set to acquire the automotive systems firm Phasya for an estimated $4.7 million.
Move into automotive
Commenting on their move into automotive, Srivatsa remarked that this was fairly an imminent effort for Tobii, considering the vast potential lying ahead in the field. As the CEO of Tobii Tech, he will oversee the process of enabling Tobii’s technology to be applied in different industries, including automotive. Similar to research facilities working on psychology or neuroscience, a lot of commercial enterprises need to understand human behavior and performance as well. They leverage this information to identify customer preferences and improve their products. Tobii Tech will strive to deliver solutions for them built on their eye-tracking technology.
2025
Srivatsa stated that Tobii Driver Monitoring System (DMS) is expected to hit the automobile market by 2025. Currently, it is working with various automotive suppliers, such as Nviso and Sunny Smart Lead to refine the system further. The core idea behind the Tobii DMS, Srivatsa said, is that it would ideally apply both artificial intelligence and eye-tracking technology to interpret key data points regarding a range of traits, such as driver’s alertness, attention, and drowsiness. This will help to enhance traffic safety by monitoring the driver. Srivatsa added that the DMS can track multiple people at once, and is capable of monitoring gestures, review body movements, and detect the emotions of the drivers.
Renowned VR products
To date, Tobii Tech is associated with renowned VR products like HTC Vive Pro Eye, Pico Neo 2, and Neo 3. With the expansion of the VR industry, the company is hopeful that eye-tracking will have a key role in the future of VR technology. However, that is not going to be limited to gaming and esports, according to Srivatsa. The expansion into automotive is one strong proof for the claim, he said.
