In March 2023, Google again announced that it had discontinued Google Glass, raising doubts about the future development of smart glasses in the market. However, Dr. Shao-Yi Chien, founder and CEO of Ganzin Technology, is pushing back against these naysayers, pointing out that even before this announcement, most people thought Google Glass had been discontinued long ago. It is not widely known that Google had been quietly developing the technology for a decade. This shows that the company has been holding on to smart glasses for many years. A closer look at the market shows that smart glasses are not only technologically advanced enough to be commercialized but that they have also begun to be used in certain fields over the last two years. Ganzin Technology's eye-tracking technology has been integrated into smart glasses, leading to a variety of applications.
In its early days, eye-tracking technology was initially used for military purposes, allowing fighter pilots to control the direction of their weapons using their eyeballs. Later, it was used to help physically disabled people communicate with others. The most famous example is Dr. Stephen Hawking. The brilliant physicist suffered from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, which caused his limbs to gradually atrophy at a young age, leaving him unable to speak or write. Intel developed a custom device for him that integrated eye-tracking, predictive input, and speech synthesis technologies, allowing him to use his eyes to select letters of the alphabet, spell individual words or sentences, and talk through a speech synthesizer. However, eye-tracking systems of the past had two major weaknesses: a complex structure and limited accuracy, which hindered their dissemination and development. Ganzin Technology, on the other hand, uses AI and machine learning technologies to develop an efficient, accurate, and cost-effective eye-tracking solution to open new possibilities for eye-tracking technology.
Most eye-tracking devices currently on the market use corneal reflection technology, in which lots of LEDs are placed in the glasses as the anchors to locate the movement of the pupil. The comparatively complex structure of such devices leads to higher overall costs as well as production and maintenance difficulties. It also affects the flexibility and feasibility for compact glasses. Ganzin Technology, on the other hand, uses only one sensor and LED in conjunction with an AI algorithm to accurately track eye movements. Dr. Chien pointed out that tracking eye movements with this method is very difficult because there are no reference points for positioning in the internal structure of the glasses. Nonetheless, the company's database built over many years and proofs-of-concept have resulted in a simple yet precise technology for tracking eye movements in real time.
Diverse Applications of Eye-Tracking Technology in Smart Glasses
Ganzin Technology's main business model is to offer micro embedded eye-tracking modules that can be integrated into VR/AR glasses and smart glasses to create a new generation of human-computer interaction devices. For example, Jorjin, a Taiwanese manufacturer of smart glasses, has adopted Ganzin's products. In addition to the modules, Ganzin Technology has further strengthened its product value and application reach, starting with its proprietary eye-tracking chip. The company has also launched lightweight eye-tracking glasses. This device can track eye movements and record videos that can be used in various teaching and training environments, such as sports, smart factories, and medicine. Finally, Ganzin Technology's eye movement analysis software can create heat maps and gaze fixation sequence plots for business and behavioral analysis.
Eye tracking can also be combined with AR technology to develop a variety of smart applications. During surgical operations, for example, the AR images displayed by the glasses can show the paths of incisions to help surgeons perform them accurately and reduce the risk of medical errors. In large areas such as manufacturing plants, water reservoirs, or oil refineries, the visual data from the AR glasses can greatly improve the efficiency of equipment inspections. When a problem occurs during maintenance, the communication module in the glasses can send images to a back-end system. The system will then display the screen of the smart glasses and the view of the maintenance personnel. This allows experts to provide voice assistance remotely, while on-site maintenance personnel can follow instructions via the miniature microphone in the glasses to get the job done.
As for the consumer sector, Ganzin Technology's eye-tracking solution could become the best control mechanism for smart glasses. The wearer could command the system by navigating the AR screen of the smart glasses based on how their line of sight moves or stops. Combined with an AI assistant, this type of control system could make users' lives a lot easier. For example, when interested in a nearby item, users could simply direct their gaze to the item and ask the AI assistant for product information via voice command. Dr. Chien pointed out that with the rapid development of AI technology, this type of interaction commonly seen in movies, such as that between Iron Man and his AI assistant Jarvis, is not far from actual implementation and will serve as a killer application for smart glasses.
Ganzin Technology's eye-tracking technology has been in the industry spotlight since its introduction because it is precise, responds superbly in real time, and integrates easily with smart glasses. Ganzin Technology won the first prize at the National Science and Technology Council's inaugural TIE Awards in 2022. Dr. Chien believes that in addition to the team's hard work, the government's efforts in recent years to create a new environment for start-ups have also contributed greatly to this success. He pointed out that the company incubated from National Taiwan University and became an independent company with the help of the Value Creation Program. Later, it participated in major overseas trade shows with the assistance of Taiwan Tech Arena. This support was crucial in showcasing the company's technology and marketing. Dr. Chien also noted that since Ganzin Technology's founding in 2018, Taiwan's start-up environment has taken on the feel of Silicon Valley in the U.S., exhibiting an increasingly vibrant industry atmosphere. He also believes that with the support of government policies, the industry and academia will become increasingly active in start-ups, giving new impetus to Taiwan's industry and triggering another wave of economic development.
Taiwan's leading smart glasses manufacturer, Jorjin, has integrated Ganzin Technology's eye-tracking module to introduce the world's first smart glasses controlled primarily by eye movements (Top). The eye-tracking glasses developed by Ganzin Technology. Combined with Ganzin Technology's eye movement analysis software, the glasses can be used in a variety of fields including medicine, design, commerce, sports science, and education (Bottom).
Photo: Ganzin Technology