Communications of the ACM
Are You Paying Attention? Computer Says No
The DiffDisplays system detects the user's gaze and keeps its central panel illuminated, and highlights new information on adjacent screens.
Credit: University of St Andrews
A computer system developed by scientists at St. Andrews University keeps users focused on their work by replacing the regular screen image with a calm and non-distracting visualization of the screen's activity. The multi-display system fades out part of the screen that remains static and subtly visualizes changes in the display over time, but quickly returns to the actual screen content when the user looks back at the display.
A camera mounted on top of each computer screen uses algorithms to identify the user's eyes, enabling the interactive system, called Diff Displays, to determine when the person is looking away from the display. A test conducted over a single work week showed the system reduced the number of times someone switched their attention between displays.
The team believes the system could reduce workplace distractions, boost productivity, and be useful in high-pressure environments such as flight-control rooms.
From Herald Scotland
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