pygaze.md

title: PyGaze (eye tracking)

[TOC]

About

PyGaze is a Python library for eye tracking. A set of plugins allow you to use PyGaze from within OpenSesame. For more information on PyGaze, visit:

• http://www.pygaze.org/

Please cite PyGaze as:

Dalmaijer, E., Mathôt, S., & Van der Stigchel, S. (2014). PyGaze: An open-source, cross-platform toolbox for minimal-effort programming of eyetracking experiments. Behavior Research Methods. doi:10.3758/s13428-013-0422-2 {: .reference}

Supported eye trackers

PyGaze supports the following eye trackers:

• EyeLink
• EyeTribe

For the following eye trackers, there is experimental support:

• EyeLogic
• GazePoint / OpenGaze
• SMI
• Tobii

You can also perform basic eye tracking in online experiments with WebGazer.js:

• WebGazer.js

PyGaze also includes two dummy eye trackers for testing purposes:

• Simple dummy — Does nothing.
• Advanced dummy — Mouse simulation of eye movements.

Installing PyGaze

Windows

If you use the official Windows package of OpenSesame, PyGaze is already installed.

Ubuntu

If you use Ubuntu, you can get PyGaze from the Cogsci.nl PPA:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:smathot/cogscinl
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install python-pygaze

Or, if you are using Python 3, change the last comment to:

sudo apt-get install python3-pygaze

pip install (all platforms)

You can install PyGaze with pip:

pip install python-pygaze

Anaconda (all platforms)

conda install python-pygaze -c cogsci

PyGaze OpenSesame plugins

The following PyGaze plugins are available:

• PYGAZE_INIT — Initializes PyGaze. This plugin is generally inserted at the start of the experiment.
• PYGAZE_DRIFT_CORRECT — Implements a drift correction procedure.
• PYGAZE_START_RECORDING — Puts PyGaze in recording mode.
• PYGAZE_STOP_RECORDING — Puts PyGaze out of recording mode.
• PYGAZE_WAIT — Pauses until an event occurs, such as a saccade start.
• PYGAZE_LOG — Logs experimental variables and arbitrary text.

Example

For an example of how to use the PyGaze plugins, see the PyGaze template that is included with OpenSesame.

Below is an example of how to use PyGaze in a Python INLINE_SCRIPT:

# Create a keyboard and a canvas object
my_keyboard = Keyboard(timeout=0)
my_canvas = Canvas()
my_canvas['dot'] = Circle(x=0, y=0, r=10, fill=True)
# Loop ...
while True:
	# ... until space is pressed
	key, timestamp = my_keyboard.get_key()
	if key == 'space':
		break
	# Get gaze position from pygaze ...
	x, y = eyetracker.sample()
	# ... and draw a gaze-contingent fixation dot!
	my_canvas['dot'].x = x + my_canvas.left
	my_canvas['dot'].y = y + my_canvas.top
	my_canvas.show()

Function overview

To initialize PyGaze in OpenSesame, insert the PYGAZE_INIT plugin into your experiment. Once you have done this, an eyetracker object will be available, which offers the following functions:

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