Tobii, Valve, and OpenBCI Engaging in Research Collaboration to Make VR Gaming More Immersive
Tobii, the world leader in eye tracking, today confirmed that it is engaging in research collaboration with Valve and OpenBCI by incorporating Tobii’s eye tracking technology with elements of Valve’s Index hardware to produce developer units for the recently announced Galea Beta Program.
“We are excited to work with Valve and OpenBCI to explore the future of immersive gaming by combining the power of Tobii eye tracking and OpenBCI’s advanced brain computer interface technology,” said Anand Srivatsa, Division CEO of Tobii Tech.
OpenBCI is an advanced technology company providing an open-source platform for applications related to brain computer interfacing (BCI). Valve, one of the most influential companies in the gaming industry, has long been a pioneering force for the evolution of immersive gaming, entertainment content delivery, and the advancement of virtual reality hardware and experiences.
Galea is a hardware and software platform that merges next-generation biometrics with mixed reality. It is the first device that integrates EEG, EMG, EOG, EDA, PPG, and image based eye-tracking into a single headset. The Galea Beta units will be built with elements from the Valve Index VR hardware.
Developers interested in using the OpenBCI Galea headset to explore how neurotechnology can bring about the next generation of immersive digital experiences are invited to visit OpenBCI’s beta project website. Initial developer units are expected to ship in limited quantities to beta program participants in early 2022.
The VR market is poised to grow into several tens of million units in volumes over the next three to five years, which represents an attractive opportunity for Tobii.
Tobii does not consider this collaboration as an official design win at this stage.
Contact
Anders Lundin, Corporate Communications Manager, Tobii Group, phone: +46 (0)733 27 87 61, email: anders.lundin@tobii.com
About Tobii
Tobii is the global leader in eye tracking. Our mission is to improve the world with technology that understands human attention and intent. Tobii operates through three business units: Tobii Dynavox makes specially designed computers that are controlled by eye movement or touch screens for use by people with special needs due to spinal cord injuries, CP, ALS or other medical conditions. Tobii Pro develops and sells eye tracking equipment and services used today by more than 3,500 companies and 2,500 research institutions, including 98 of the world’s 100 highest ranked universities. Tobii Tech supplies eye tracking technology for integration into consumer electronics and other products such as personal computers, virtual reality headsets, healthcare applications, and more. Tobii is headquartered in Sweden and is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm (TOBII). The group has over 1,000 employees. For more information: www.tobii.com.