Eye Tracking Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Type (Optical, Eye Attached Tracking), By Application (Healthcare, Consumer Electronics), By Component (Hardware, Software), By Location, And Segment Forecasts, 2022 - 2030

Report Overview

The global eye tracking market size was valued at USD 638.8 million in 2021 and is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 33.4% from 2022 to 2030. The increasing use of smart sensors for process control and decision making and the rising demand for contactless biometrics coupled with the growing adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI), Virtual Reality (VR), and Augmented Reality (AR) in consumer electronics & other commercial applications areas are expected to drive the market growth significantly. The industry has been gaining prominence due to the increasing adoption of the vision capturing technology in commercial spaces, particularly in industries and sectors including retail, healthcare, research, automotive, consumer electronics, government & defense, and security & surveillance.

The optical tracking system, also known as the video-based eye-tracker is the most popular type of vision capturing system among users. It leverages trackers to continuously record the sight movement and the position of the individual being tracked. Eye-tracking technologies are widely used for market research, web marketing, and analyzing advertisements in print and digital media. For instance, in June 2021, Tobii Pro launched Sticky, an online self-service platform used for advertising researchers and marketing that combines emotion recognition and webcam eye tracking with online survey questions that make advanced quantitative research simple.

A significant growth driver for the market is the increasing demand for contactless biometrics. The biometric system is used mainly for security purposes in prison management systems and the defense sector. Defense organizations and police departments deploy iris biometric scanners to identify individuals to tighten their security arrangements. For instance, the Maine Department of Corrections in Washington, D.C., has implemented iris scanning technology, a contactless technology that is much faster than fingerprint scanning technology. The technology is being used to track the jail inmates, authenticate their identity before granting entry into restricted premises, and verify the identity of visitors.

However, vision capturing is a relatively new technology. Hence, there are only a few established players offering integrated vision-capturing solutions. These players focus on striking strategic partnerships, mergers & acquisitions, and expanding their R&D activities. For instance, in January 2017, EyeTech Digital Systems, Inc. partnered with Quantum Rehab to introduce vision-controlled wheelchairs, which would be helpful for individuals who are unable to use the hand control system. The vision tracker technology is mounted directly onto the tablet or desktop that is further integrated within the wheelchair to allow the user to control the wheelchair-using vision movements.

There is an increased demand for Assistive communicators, such as Gaze interaction technology, which improves people’s lives with disabilities. This device is a computer access approach that allows people with disabilities to navigate and control a computer with their eyes; all the functions like activating, selecting, and scrolling can be done through the eyes. For instance, Tobii launched Tobii Dynavox, which provides speech generating devices, communication apps, eye gaze, and eye tracker enable devices based on Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) for people with disabilities.

The application of eye-tracking technology in VR & ARis increasing with the development of AI in gaming sectors. The market players focus on partnerships, mergers, and acquisitions to expand their R&D activities. For instance, in March 2022, Tobii collaborated with Ready Player (an avatar platform that allows consumers to make a 3D avatar in many apps and games) and LIV (a game streaming company that enables creators to broadcast themselves live from inside VR) to create avatars more authentic and expressive in the Metaverse.

Type Insights

The optical tracking segment led the market with a revenue share of more than 52.00% in 2021. Arise in demand for optical tracking systems in VR and AR is because the optical tracking system can capture both active and passive motion of a full body, which enables VR to gather additional information about the participant’s position. Furthermore, the optical tracking system does not require the attachment of wires or anything else to the object being monitored. There is no requirement for a physical connection between the tracked object and the real environment. Optical tracking also enables many entities to be tracked at the same time.

The eye-attached tracking sub-segment is expected to grow at the fastest CAGR from 2022 to 2030. Eye-attached capturing devices are similar to contact lenses embedded with magnetic or mirror sensors, which can keep tracing the vision irrespective of the head movement. It can track visual movement in vertical, torsion, and horizontal directions. An eye-attached vision capturing system would be particularly ideal for the healthcare, research, retail, and consumer electronics sectors, as vision capturing remains uninterrupted even if the user moves his head slightly or sets in motion.

On the other hand, the Electrooculography (EOG) technique can detect and track vision movement through electric signals obtained from contact electrodes placed on the skin around the eyes. The EOG technique allows tracking vision in darkness or even when the eyes are closed. The method is beneficial in researching human behavior during sleep. However, the sight gaze detection capability of the EOG system is not as accurate as of the optical tracking system, which envisages using infrared technology to detect gazing.

Component Insights

The hardware segment dominated the market with a revenue share of 60.01% in 2021. The software segment is estimated to grow at the fastest CAGR over the forecast period. Hardware and software components of the vision capturing system vary according to the properties of the tracker. In the case of eye-attached tracking, the hardware components include a head-mount vision capturing system with cameras and sensors, an eye-tracking glass or lenses, and an external or internal storage device for recording and storing the data captured by the vision trackers. On the other hand, the software is integrated within a remote desktop that receives the data from the head-mounted system.

In the case of optical capturing or video-based trackers, the hardware components are similar to the eye-attached tracing system. They comprise the Eye Tracking Device (ETD), including a desktop, an external or internal storage device, a camera for recording the visual movement & gaze point, and optical sensors for detecting & tracking the visible movement. However, the software is integrated within the ETD for processing and analyzing the data captured by the cameras and sensors. For instance, in August 2020, SR research launched EyeLink 1000 plus, which has a high-speed camera and is capable of recording eye movements at up to 2000 frames per second.

This allows researchers to obtain high-quality eye-tracking data in various environments. After data filtration and processing, results derived from analytical tools are used for various purposes. For instance, in medical research, the analyzed data is used to study a myriad of psychiatric and neurological conditions, such as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and Schizophrenia. In the automotive sector, the analyzed data is used for enhancing the Human Machine Interface (HMI) system and other purposes, such as alerting the driver for being inattentive while driving.

Location Insights

The remote segment led the market with a revenue share of more than 62.00% in 2021. In remote/screen-based vision tracking, the respondents have to be in front of the ETD in a stationary position. However, mobile vision trackers are head-mounted to the respondents to capture the vision movement continuously, irrespective of the respondents moving their heads or being in motion. A remote sight capturing system is deployed to analyze respondents’ behavior or observe an object from a 2-dimensional perspective and may require an advanced setup for a 3-dimensional study.

On the contrary, mobile trackers are deployed when the respondents need to be free to make movements, for example, while studying the consumer behavior or when the object needs to be observed from a 3-dimensional perspective. The remote tracker system sub-segment accounted for a larger revenue share in 2021 and is projected to continue dominating the market over the forecast period. The mobile tracking system sub-segment, on the other hand, is anticipated to grow at the fastest CAGR from 2022 to 2030, particularly due to the growing adoption of vision tracing technology in commercial applications.

Application Insights

The healthcare segment dominated the market with a revenue share of more than 25.00% in 2021. The initial adoption of gaze capturing in healthcare was limited to a computer interface for patients suffering from mobility disabilities and other communication issues. However, the technology is increasingly being adopted as an input mechanism in consumer electronics and gaming devices. By application, the market has been divided into healthcare, retail, research, automotive, consumer electronics, and others. The others sub-segment includes the use of vision tracing systems by the government and the defense sector.

Eye-tracking is playing a significant role in the development of the automotive sector. With the increasing demand for automotive vehicles and AI applications in the automotive sector, the demand for eye tracking is also increasing. Eye-tracking has become a key DMS technology that has replaced traditional approaches over time, and the reason is this technology allows eyelid movement analysis and gaze direction. For example, Toyota deployed an eye-tracking device in its Lexus brand, which put it ahead of other competitors in the market. Volvo is also planning to enter the market with its driver state estimation system.

There is also increased demand for eye-tracking devices in the retail FMCG sector. Eye-tracking devices and their algorithms are used to understand consumer behavior at retail stores. The algorithms help determine what product layout is most likely to prompt a purchase at a store, how long a customer spends browsing a product, and what packaging gives the most product information for the customer’s benefit. The consumer electronics sub-segment is expected to grow at a considerable CAGR over the forecast period.

The sub-segment is projected to witness the fastest growth in the Asia Pacific region, with Japan, China, and India, being the most dominant markets. Game designers leverage the vision gaze technology to enhance the User Interface (UI) design and provide smarter modes of UI modalities and gameplay interaction sensitive to the user’s mood and behavior. In the automotive industry, ETDs alert the driver of inattentiveness while driving to prevent road accidents. In the healthcare sector, eye tracking systems are being used by surgeons as hands-free controls to communicate using sight movement through the HMI platform.

Regional Insights

The North American region dominated the market with a revenue share of more than 48.00% in 2021 and is expected to retain its dominance over the forecast period. One of the primary reasons for the high growth in North America is the increased use of advanced technology in the healthcare sector and research initiatives to understand human behavior better. The U.S. accounts for the largest revenue share in the regional market owing to the wide adoption of smart sensors and contactless biometric systems. The major industry players are based in the U.S., Germany, Japan, and China, and most of the developments are happening in these regions.

For instance, in June 2017, Apple, Inc. acquired SensoMotoric Instruments, a German company specializing in AR and eye-tracking. Through such acquisitions, Apple, Inc. envisages developing AR and VR platforms, such as ARKit, an AR framework that blends digital information and objects with the environment around the user and integrates those into iOS 11. The Asia Pacific regional market is projected to witness the fastest CAGR over the forecast period. Increasing adoption of vision tracing, particularly in consumer electronics, is anticipated to trigger significant growth in the Indian, Chinese, and Japanese markets.

Key Companies & Market Share Insights

Most of the market players adhere to mergers & acquisitions to address the challenges associated with in-house R&D and enhance their product portfolios. For instance, in May 2017, Tobii Pro, the research wing of Tobii AB, acquired Sticky, a company offering a cloud-based solution that enables large-scale market research studies using webcam vision capturing. Tobii Pro is one of the most prominent players in vision tracking research solutions, and the acquisition has brought Sticky’s complementing cloud-based platform under its product portfolio.

Major software companies are also striking strategic alliances with vision tracing system developers to integrate the technology into their products. For instance, in August 2017, Microsoft Corp. and Tobii AB entered into a strategic partnership to jointly release a product called ‘Eye Control,’ a featured in-box experience leveraging vision gaze supported by Windows 10. In April 2021, Tobii collaborated with NVIDIA to enhance VR image quality in VRSS2. After the integration, the company launched the HP Reverb G2 omnicept edition of HP’s VR headset, and the headset has both Tobii Eye Tracking and NVIDIA VRSS 2. Some of the prominent players in the global eye tracking market include:

• Tobii AB

• SR Research Ltd.

• iMotions A/S

• Gazepoint Research Inc.

• EyeTech Digital Systems, Inc.

• EyeTracking, Inc.

• Mirametrix Inc.

• Seeing Machines Ltd.

• Smart Eye AB

• LC Technologies, Inc.

Eye Tracking Market Report Scope

Segments Covered in the Report

This report forecasts revenue growths at global, regional, and country levels and provides an analysis of the latest industry trends in each of the sub-segments from 2017 to 2030. For the purpose of this study, Grand View Research has segmented the global eye tracking market report based on type, component, location, application, and region:

• Type Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2017 - 2030)

  • Eye Attached Tracking

  • Optical Tracking

  • Electrooculography

• Component Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2017 - 2030)

  • Hardware

  • Software

• Location Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2017 - 2030)

  • Remote

  • Mobile

• Application Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2017 - 2030)

  • Healthcare

  • Retail

  • Research

  • Automotive

  • Consumer Electronics

  • Others

• Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2017 - 2030)

  • North America

    • U.S.

    • Canada

  • Europe

    • Germany

    • U.K.

  • Asia Pacific

    • China

    • India

    • Japan

  • Latin America

    • Brazil

    • Mexico

  • Middle East & Africa