In Virtual Reality and Mixed Reality News
February 5, 2021 – Tobii, a company that develops and sells products for eye control and eye tracking, has recently confirmed that it is engaging in research collaboration with Valve and OpenBCI by incorporating its 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 (VR) hardware and experiences.
Galea is a hardware and software platform that merges next-generation biometrics with mixed reality (MR). According to OpenBCI, 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.
Tobii did note that it does not consider this collaboration as an “official design win” at this stage. For more information on Tobii and its eye tracking technology, click here. For more information on Valve and its immersive VR gaming offerings, click here. For more information on OpenBCI and its brain computer interface solutions, click here.
Image credit: Galea / OpenBCI
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About the author
Sam is the Founder and Managing Editor of Auganix. With a background in research and report writing, he has been covering XR industry news for the past seven years.