Eye-tracker maker Tobii Technology has launched its Tobii Glasses 2, featuring a new platform supporting research and consumer software and which the vendors claims opens up new opportunities for human behavior research.
"Our new Tobii Glasses 2 offers amazing opportunities to obtain real-world gaze data in real time, which provides great value for a wide range of users," said Tom Englund, president of Tobii Technology Analysis Solutions in a press statement Tuesday. "In addition to offering live viewing, we've made the technology easier to use and more affordable, which supports our mission to help more researchers use wearable eye tracking to generate new insights and discoveries."
The new product from the Stockholm wearables maker is supposed to make such eyewear easier and more affordable, especially to scientists and researchers. At least those who can pony up the $15,000. Yes, not $1,500 which is the consumer price for Google's Glass product which is now available to U.S. buyers.
But then again it doesn't seem Tobii Glasses 2 is looking to cash in on the Google Glass market.
As the release indicates, the wearable is for the first-time eye tracking users working on one-time studies to advanced functionality for comprehensive analytical projects.
In short, Tobii Glasses are not for Google Explorers, and Google Glass is nothing like what Tobii customers are looking for in computing eyewear.
The second generation Tobii Glasses, the first pair debuted back in 2010, reflects all the knowledge Tobii has gained in how the glasses can be used from everything from marketing to behavior science and usability research.
"Over the past four years, we have witnessed incredible new discoveries in shopper marketing, behavioral science and usability research that had not been possible before Tobii Glasses," said Barbara Barclay, general manager of Tobii North America.
"Tobii Glasses 2 offers a number of new features that will advance wearables significantly in all these fields but also open up a multitude of new research applications, providing a higher degree of ease of use, efficiency, flexibility and unobtrusiveness."
The new key features include a live viewing feature, a 'true view' which is a wide angle 1080p HD scene camera and four eye cameras, flexible mapping, and a light weight frame weighing in at 45 grams.
"It is by far the lightest in the world and looks and feels almost like a regular pair of sport glasses. These characteristics allow participants to have maximum mobility, be less distracted by the testing process and behave naturally, giving researchers confidence in gaining valid insights. This is especially helpful in testing that involves a lot of physical movement, such as sports research," states the release.
The vendor offers training programs who want help in learning how to use them, notes the release.
There are two package options for purchase, ranging from the $15,000 Live View to the Premium Analytics offering costing $25,000.
