Implementation of a High-Accuracy Neural Network-Based Pupil Detection System for Real-Time and Real-World Applications.

In this paper, the implementation of a new pupil detection system based on artificial intelligence techniques suitable for real-time and real-word applications is presented. The proposed AI-based pupil detection system uses a classifier implemented with slim-type neural networks, with its classes being defined according to the possible positions of the pupil within the eye image. In order to reduce the complexity of the neural network, a new parallel architecture is used in which two independent classifiers deliver the pupil center coordinates. The training, testing, and validation of the proposed system were performed using almost 40,000 eye images with a resolution of 320 × 240 pixels and coming from 20 different databases, with a high degree of generality. The experimental results show a detection rate of 96.29% at five pixels with a standard deviation of 3.38 pixels for all eye images from all databases and a processing speed of 100 frames/s. These results indicate both high accuracy and high processing speed, and they allow us to use the proposed solution for different real-time applications in variable and non-uniform lighting conditions, in fields such as assistive technology to communicate with neuromotor-disabled patients by using eye typing, in computer gaming, and in the automotive industry for increasing traffic safety by monitoring the driver's cognitive state.

Development of an Eye Tracking-Based Human-Computer Interface for Real-Time Applications.

In this paper, the development of an eye-tracking-based human-computer interface for real-time applications is presented. To identify the most appropriate pupil detection algorithm for the proposed interface, we analyzed the performance of eight algorithms, six of which we developed based on the most representative pupil center detection techniques. The accuracy of each algorithm was evaluated for different eye images from four representative databases and for video eye images using a new testing protocol for a scene image. For all video recordings, we determined the detection rate within a circular target 50-pixel area placed in different positions in the scene image, cursor controllability and stability on the user screen, and running time. The experimental results for a set of 30 subjects show a detection rate over 84% at 50 pixels for all proposed algorithms, and the best result (91.39%) was obtained with the circular Hough transform approach. Finally, this algorithm was implemented in the proposed interface to develop an eye typing application based on a virtual keyboard. The mean typing speed of the subjects who tested the system was higher than 20 characters per minute.

A New Integrated System for Assistance in Communicating with and Telemonitoring Severely Disabled Patients.

In this paper, we present a new complex electronic system for facilitating communication with severely disabled patients and telemonitoring their physiological parameters. The proposed assistive system includes three subsystems (Patient, Server, and Caretaker) connected to each other via the Internet. The two-way communication function is based on keywords technology using a WEB application implemented at the server level, and the application is accessed remotely from the patient's laptop/tablet PC. The patient's needs can be detected by using different switch-type sensors that are adapted to the patient's physical condition or by using eye-tracking interfaces. The telemonitoring function is based on a wearable wireless sensor network, organized around the Internet of Things concept, and the sensors acquire different physiological parameters of the patients according to their needs. The mobile Caretaker device is represented by a Smartphone, which uses an Android application for communicating with patients and performing real-time monitoring of their physiological parameters. The prototype of the proposed assistive system was tested in "Dr. C.I. Parhon" Clinical Hospital of Iasi, Romania, on hospitalized patients from the Clinic of Geriatrics and Gerontology. The system contributes to an increase in the level of care and treatment for disabled patients, and this ultimately lowers costs in the healthcare system.