Are eye trackers harmful?

No.

Eye trackers are a technology that has been tried and tested for many years. Eye trackers use LEDs in the infrared range to enable them to function even in poor lighting conditions without distracting the user. Infrared light (in this case near infrared light (NIR)) can also be found in our natural environment, such as candlelight or fire. It is nothing else than light in the invisible spectrum which has less energy than visible light. Infrared light is sometimes also used as heat source in radiant heaters, e.g. for small children, but the heat emitted by an eye tracker is so weak that it cannot even be felt when touching the eye tracker directly.

The eye trackers we work with are subject to the European standard EN 62471, which ensures that all products with light emissions do not cause any damage to the user.


Here are some general hints:

  • Epilepsy Warning: People with photosensitive epilepsy are susceptible to flickering lights or light patterns, and symptoms could be triggered by the eye tracker. Please be careful here!
  • Use near IR-sensitive medical devices: If you are using medical devices near your eye tracker, be aware that some medical devices may be sensitive to infrared light or radiation.

Tobii 4C Eye Tracker notes: