Apple has registered a patent for a new eye tracking system designed to reduce component obstructions between users’ eyes and current tracking hardware. Apple’s design features an infrared emitter and camera on the side of the device, as opposed to directly in front of the eye.
A “hot mirror” situated between the two display panels then reflects the infrared light into the eye and back to the emitter, while allowing visible light to pass through it. This set-up requires less space between the eyes and the front of the headset, potentially reducing its size and improving comfort for the user.
Eye-tracking technology enables a number of improvements in VR and AR headsets, such as gaze-based interactions and more realistic depth-of-field effects.
