Eye tracking technology puts modern spin on classic arcade game

Gone are the days when the relics lined the walls of our favourite social hangouts. Classics such as Pacman, Centipede and Frogger have since made way for a new breed of arcade games that feature fake guns, steering wheels and dance pads.

But the nostalgia of a game like Asteroids lives on, and the developers at Tobii are hoping a modern spin on a venerable classic will put an EyeAsteroids machine in a bar near you.

The eye control specialists at Tobii, developers of the PCEye system for Windows, have recreated Atari's most successful game with the use of eye-tracking technology.

In EyeAsteroids, players use nothing but their eyes to protect the Earth (the player's new avatar) from the impending destruction of incoming asteroids. Players can fire lasers to destroy targets that gravitate toward the Earth and collect power-ups to rejuvenate. The game ends when the Earth has sustained too much damage from missed shots and/or unnoticed targets.

As developer Fredrik Lindh explains in the video below, "It's so easy to start playing. You don't even have to know it's a game. You just stand in front of it." Check it out:

Offering a radically unconventional gaming experience, developers are hoping players will enjoy the lack of the commonly-used motion controllers and gamepads. EyeAsteroid gives players the ability to locate and obliterate targets at a much faster rate than yesteryear's reliance on hand/eye coordination, creating a truly unique and simple gaming experience.

"The connection you feel with the computer when using eye-tracking is just unparallel when compared to other technologies," explains developer Fredrik Lindh in the video. "It feels like it's reading your mind. It's pretty creepy sometimes times but also completely amazing. You have to try it to understand."

Tobii began its EyeAsteroid world tour last week, making its debut at Dave & Buster's in NYC's Times Square before heading to the U.S. midwest early in 2012 for a CES showing in Las Vegas.

(Gizmag photos)