Surveillance-Behavior Support by a Real-Time Gaze-Based Tool Integrated with Augmented Reality

Video surveillance can be cognitively very demanding as it imposes operators to stay focus for a long time and to provide the right response for relevant stimuli among a lot of information. In this challenging activity, it is relevant to consider the use of decision-aid techniques to improve operators’ alertness. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of a real-time gaze-based tool named Scantracker—which can identify instances of neglect, over-focus and vigilance decrement using eye tracking and display visual notifications to mitigate such situations—on surveillance performance measures during a surveillance simulation. Augmented reality glasses were used to monitor eye movements in real time for all non-expert participants, but notifications presentation to support attention was visually active for only half of them (Scantracker group), as opposed to the control group without support from the Scantracker. No significant differences were observed across those two groups. However, a within-group comparison contrasting trials with active notifications vs. a silent condition showed a reliable improvement in task accuracy and a reduction in screen neglect duration. Results are discussed in light of potential applications of Scantracker with augmented reality.