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ABSTRACT

This paper documents the engineering of a gaze contingent therapeutic environment for the exploration and validation of a proposed rehabilitative technique addressing attention deficits in 24 to 54 months old autistic subjects. It discusses the current state of progress and lessons learnt so far while highlighting the outstanding engineering challenges of this project. We focus on calibration issues for this target group of users, explain the architecture of the system and present our general workflow for the construction of the gaze contingent environment. While this work is being undertaken for therapeutic purposes, it is likely to be relevant to the construction of gaze contingent displays for entertainment.

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INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  H. Information Systems
  H.5 INFORMATION INTERFACES AND PRESENTATION (I.7)
      H.5.2 User Interfaces (D.2.2, H.1.2, I.3.6)
          Subjects: Input devices and strategies (e.g., mouse, touchscreen)

Additional Classification:
  H. Information Systems
  H.5 INFORMATION INTERFACES AND PRESENTATION (I.7)
      H.5.2 User Interfaces (D.2.2, H.1.2, I.3.6)
          Subjects: User-centered design; Interaction styles (e.g., commands, menus, forms, direct manipulation)

  K. Computing Milieux
  K.4 COMPUTERS AND SOCIETY
      K.4.2 Social Issues
          Subjects: Assistive technologies for persons with disabilities

General Terms:
Design, Experimentation

Keywords:
attention, autism, design workflow, eye tracker calibration, gaze contingent environment