Labvanced vs OpenGazer

Labvanced is a no-code platform for designing and running behavioral research experiments. Researchers use graphical tools to build studies and can collect millisecond-precise reaction-time measures and webcam-based eye tracking. Study elements include questionnaires, audio and video stimuli, mouse tracking, and real-time multi-participant sessions. Labvanced documents recruitment integrations including Prolific, CloudResearch, Sona Systems, Besample, Panelabs, Amazon Mechanical Turk, and Clickworker. Its desktop app can connect EEG systems, eye trackers, motion sensors, and wearables through Lab Streaming Layer, and can run locally without internet access; that app is available to group and departmental license holders for Windows, MacOS, and Linux Ubuntu. A Chrome extension enables controlled studies on live third-party websites while recording gaze, clicks, hovering, and scrolling. Labvanced says webcam eye-tracking video is not sent to its servers or experimenters by default. The free plan includes 300 MB of storage, 10 recordings, and one active recruiting link. Paid tiers list live chat, with some adding premium email support or onboarding. Labvanced was released in 2018 and is maintained by Scicovery GmbH.

OpenGazer is a Linux application that uses an ordinary webcam to estimate gaze direction and send it to other programs. It also tracks head position and rotation, and displays the estimated gaze point, head-rotation lines, and calibration target. Setup calls for a camera at 640×480, placed centrally below the monitor. Users calibrate by looking at indicated screen points while keeping their head still, then choose facial tracking points; the project calls for at least four and recommends seven or eight. Gaze estimates appear on screen, print to standard output, and are sent through a local UDP socket on port 20230. Dasher is an example of software that can use the gaze direction for writing with the eyes. OpenGazer is free under GPLv2 and uses the X Window System interface. It is marked Alpha, with a last update listed as 2013-04-24. Building it requires VXL, OpenCV, gtkmm, cairomm, and Boost.