Selection Performance and Reliability of Eye and Head Gaze Tracking Under Varying Light Conditions

Augmented Reality (AR) applications increasingly rely on eye and head gaze tracking for user interaction, with their efficacy influenced by environmental factors such as spatial arrangements and lighting conditions. This paper presents two studies that examine how these variables affect the performance of eye and head gaze tracking in AR environments. While eye tracking partially delivered faster results, its performance exhibited greater variability, especially under dynamic lighting conditions. Conversely, head gaze tracking, while providing more consistent results, showed a notable reduction in accuracy in environments with fluctuating light levels. Furthermore, the spatial properties of the environment had notable implications on both tracking methods. Our research demonstrates that both spatial properties and lighting conditions are key determinants in the choice of a tracking method, underscoring the need for AR systems that can dynamically adapt to these environmental variables.