Real-time eye detection is important for many HCI applications, including eye-gaze tracking, auto-stereoscopic displays, video conferencing, face detection and recognition. Current commercial and research systems use a software implementation and require a dedicated computer for the image-processing task, a large, expensive and complicated-to-use solution. In this paper, we present a hardware-based embedded system for eye detection implemented using an FPGA, with no CPU. A prototype system uses a 1.3MPixel digital imaging sensor at 27Mpixel/sec rate and outputs a compact list of sub-pixel accurate (x,y) eye coordinates via USB communication. By eliminating the CPU in the implementation architecture, the processing rate is only limited by the effective sensor pixel rate. Our design is suitable for single-chip eye detection and eye-gaze tracking sensors.
By: Lior Zimet, Sean Kao, Arnon Amir, Alberto Sangiovanni-Vincentelli
Published in: RJ10289 in 2003
LIMITED DISTRIBUTION NOTICE:
This Research Report is available. This report has been submitted for publication outside of IBM and will probably be copyrighted if accepted for publication. It has been issued as a Research Report for early dissemination of its contents. In view of the transfer of copyright to the outside publisher, its distribution outside of IBM prior to publication should be limited to peer communications and specific requests. After outside publication, requests should be filled only by reprints or legally obtained copies of the article (e.g., payment of royalties). I have read and understand this notice and am a member of the scientific community outside or inside of IBM seeking a single copy only.
Questions about this service can be mailed to reports@us.ibm.com .