Capturing reading patterns through a real-time smart camera iris tracking system

A real-time iris detection and tracking algorithm has been implemented on a smart camera using LabVIEW graphical programming tools. The program detects the eye and finds the center of the iris, which is recorded and stored in Cartesian coordinates. In subsequent video frames, the location of the center of the iris corresponding to the previously detected eye is computed and recorded for a desired period of time, creating a list of coordinates representing the moving iris center location across image frames. We present an application for the developed smart camera iris tracking system that involves the assessment of reading patterns. The purpose of the study is to identify differences in reading patterns of readers at various levels to eventually determine successful reading strategies for improvement. The readers are positioned in front of a computer screen with a fixed camera directed at the reader's eyes. The readers are then asked to read preselected content on the computer screen, one comprising a traditional newspaper text and one a Web page. The iris path is captured and stored in real-time. The reading patterns are examined by analyzing the path of the iris movement. In this paper, the iris tracking system and algorithms, application of the system to real-time capture of reading patterns, and representation of 2D/3D iris track are presented with results and recommendations.