eContact: Eye contact for video chat
How could eye tracking be used to facilitate online communication?
"The union and interaction of individuals is based upon mutual glances. This is perhaps the most direct and purest reciprocity which exists anywhere." - Georg Simmel
Eye contact is a major component of effective communication. Frequent eye contact in a conversation indicates that we are paying attention and understand what the other person is saying. Many cultures have different standards for the frequency and duration of eye contact, but people of all cultures rely on eye contact to connect to each other.
In digital communication, this important element of understanding is lost. Although video chat programs allow us to lay eyes on someone who may be far away, eye contact is nearly impossible with these programs. If you are looking at the video chat window, you cannot make eye contact with the camera and your chat partner can never have direct eye contact with you. How can eyetracking be used to help bridge this gap?
What eContact does
eContact provides an indicator that your partner is looking at you in his or her chat window. While this is no replacement for real eye contact, the aim of this application is to provide another layer of feedback in video chat that would help you gauge your chat partner's interest and attention to your conversation.
