Shimmer3 GSR integrated to Tobii Pro’s software platform for eye tracking research

Tobii Pro, the global leader in eye tracking research solutions, has partnered with Shimmer and integrated their wearable wireless GSR (galvanic skin response) sensor into its software analysis platform, Tobii Pro Lab. By combining eye tracking with GSR, marketers, usability and academic researchers can link visual attention with arousal levels to get a fuller understanding of the emotional state and origins of stress.

The Shimmer3 GSR+ Unit measures skin conductance, which responds to the sympathetic nervous system and provides an indication of psychological or physiological arousal. It is the first biometric sensor integrated to Tobii Pro’s new software platform. It is used by researchers to design, record and manage behavioral studies based on eye tracking data collected through eye trackers from Tobii Pro.

“For psychology and market researchers, it is key to understand what about a product, video or environment visually causes emotional arousal or stress,” says Tom Englund, president of Tobii Pro. “What we see makes us react and act, and the integration with GSR is the first step towards creating an end-to-end solution to retrieve those insights. With this, Tobii Pro Lab is becoming the most comprehensive eye tracking platform for behavioral research.”

The GSR device consists of a wristband and electrodes that are placed on a person’s fingers or palms. The skin conductivity is recorded non-invasively, and the data from all screen-based eye trackers will be integrated with data from the Shimmer3 GSR, simplifying the technical execution of any study. It is the first of a line of future biometric sensors that will be added to Tobii Pro Lab for studying every aspect of human behavior.

“Combining eye tracking with GSR is extremely valuable in understanding the response to visual stimuli,” says Geoff Gill, President of Shimmer Americas. “Eye tracking provides a clear indication of what a person is responding to and GSR indicates the amount of response. We are very pleased that Tobii Pro, the leading eye tracking firm, has chosen to integrate Shimmer’s GSR into their system.”

In addition to the GSR integration, it is possible to synchronize eye tracking data with data streams such as electroencephalogram (EEG) and heart rate (HR). This synchronization offers millisecond accuracy and researchers can trust the findings without having to worry about data lag invalidating their work.