REX and Pivot function

[Elias]

Hi,

I got my REX today and set it up as described. As far as good, it behaves like expected. Really a wonderful device.

During the setup I was wondering how to use the device with a Pivot Monitor. In a pivot setup the screen is turned by 90 degrees so you have the shorter side of the monitor at the bottom and the wider side is the height. This setup is quite useful when you are dealing with word processing or simply want to read content printed on a DIN A4 sheet, as it uses the screen size much more ergonomically.

I didn’t find an option when installing the EyeX SDK to specify the border where the sensor is attached. As I think this setup should work equally fine, I would like to ask if there is a workaround to get the REX working when attached to the shorter side, too. My guess is that you have to edit some config files in the engine…

It would be really great if you can help me to get this device working in my setup. Thanks!

[Anders]

Hi Elias,
the EyeX Engine should detect that your monitor is in portrait mode and adapt automatically.

Note that the eye tracking performance degrades as the distance (angle) between the eye tracker and the gaze point increases. A large monitor in portrait mode might be pushing the limits — at least for the uppermost part of the screen. But one can always give it a try.

[Elias]

OK, thanks. Is there also a way to force it manually? This would be a great help.

Elias

[Jenny [Tobii]]

Hi Elias,

There is no way to force portrait mode manually. What is the scenario where you would like to do this?

You can use the eye tracker alternately in landscape and portrait mode on a pivot monitor, if you first run a full EyeX monitor setup once for each mode.

Then, whenever you pivot your monitor, EyeX will detect that the aspect ratio has changed and automatically switch to using the setup corresponding to that aspect ratio. Of course this also implies that you have to physically move the eye tracker so that it is always attached at the bottom of the monitor screen.

[Elias]

Thanks Jenny for your reply. I tested your advice and discovered that the system behaves as you described. My problem is that I would like a little bit more flexibility. Currently the Sensor is orientated as the orientation of the text. When you use the sensor in landscape mode you have to attach it to the long side, in portrait mode to the short side.

What I am looking for is a possibility to calibrate the system when the sensor is attached to the short side of the screen but text is displayed along the long side. This might sound crazy at first but I am experimenting with tablets and sometimes it is the best way to hold the device in such a way. Of course reading would be difficult but on a more graphical interface this does not matter…

So my question is how can I unbound the orientation of the sensor and the default screen orientation. I am confident this should work somehow but a little help would be very appreciated…

Thanks.

[Anders]

Hi Elias,
the Tobii eye trackers are designed for use oriented in roughly the same direction as the user’s eyes. It’s not that users have to keep their head perfectly upright — quite the opposite — but it won’t work with the eye tracker orthogonal to the eyes.

Does that answer your question?

[Author]

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