Multiplayer Interaction Platform With Gaze Tracking for Individuals With Autism

Deficits in interpersonal communication along with difficulty in putting oneself into the shoes of others characterizes individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Additionally, they exhibit atypical looking pattern causing them to miss aspects related to understanding other's preference for a context that is crucial for effective social communication. Prior research studies show the use of multiplayer platforms can improve interaction among these individuals. However, these multiplayer platforms do not demand players to understand each other's preference, important for effective social interaction. In this work, we have developed a multiplayer interaction platform using virtual reality augmented with eye-tracking technology. Thirty-six participants comprising of individuals with ASD (n = 18; Group
_ASD
) and typically developing (TD) individuals (n = 18; Group
_TD
) interacted in pairs within each participant group using our platform. Results indicate that both Group
_ASD
and Group
_TD
showed improvement in performance across the tasks with the Group
_TD
performing better than the Group
_ASD
. Additionally, the eye-gaze data indicated an underlying relationship between one's looking pattern and task performance that was differentiated between the Group
_ASD
and Group
_TD
. The current results indicate a potential of our multiplayer interaction platform to serve as a complementary tool in the hands of the interventionist promoting social reciprocity and interaction among individuals with ASD.