COGAIN Workpackages

Work Packages

WP1: Durable community building

WP Leader: University of Tampere (UTA)
Contact: paivi (dot) majaranta (at) cogain (dot) org

WP1 aims to durable community building. WP1 supports durable activities such as establishing COGAIN conference, support for joint project funding applications, and finding other ways to ensure durable community building (e.g. possibilities for a COGAIN foundation).
Major part of the durable community building is to maintain the COGAIN web portal. The web portal is used to distribute information of the objectives and achievements of COGAIN. In addition, the portal serves as a communication tool between the network partners and the end users. It supports communication and software development on several levels. It takes care that the up-to-date versions of working documents and software versions are available for all network participants, and it also acts as a tool for gathering and maintaining user profile information.

WP2: Standardisation

WP Leader: De Montfort University (DMU)
Contact: richard (dot) bates (at) cogain (dot) org

Lack of standards for using eye tracking as an input method is a significant block for implementing gaze-enabled software components that could be widely adopted by the user community. COGAIN will improve the existing situation essentially by introducing standards for eye communication on several levels, starting from defining the format in which the trackers provide the measured data, to establishing a recommendation for the protocol used for interfacing the environmental control systems.
WP2 will continue and further the original objectives of providing standards for gaze based systems, such that these systems can be used not only for communication but also for environmental control and mobility control, by examining how standardised gaze environmental and mobility control may be achieved, and how effective these standards are when implemented, leading to the realisation of standard software elements and recommendations, methods and protocols for gaze environmental and mobility control to allow third party applications and systems to use these control standards.

WP3: User involvement

WP Leader: ACE Centre Advisory Trust Ltd (ACE)
Contact: mick (dot) donegan (at) cogain (dot) org

The goal of WP3 is to ensure that the focus of COGAIN remains closely aligned with the real needs of real users. To achieve this, the objectives are (a) to involve users in user trials of both hardware and software (b) to increase the levels of involvement and awareness of user requirements among potential users, suppliers, researchers and developers and (c) make multi-media training resources available to heighten awareness of the complex range of user needs. Another goal is to define analysis and evaluation methods and metrics for gaze based interaction in the COGAIN application areas of communication, environmental control and personal mobility.

WP4: Tool development

WP Leader: IT University of Copenhagen (ITU)
Contact: john (dot) paulin (dot) hansen (at) cogain (dot) org

WP4 will continue the previous work on prototypes of basic text editing tools, gaze browsers, games and gaze-guided viewing applications aimed at improving the quality of life for disabled people. WP4 aims to supplement some of the tools developed so far with possibilities for supplementary controls and interaction that may serve users in case they temporarily or permanently lose the ability control communication by gaze interaction. WP4 also aims to extend the global reach of the tools by development of additional language versions.

WP5: Eye tracker development

WP Leader: Universidad Publica de Navarra (UPNA)
Contact: arantxa (dot) villanueva (at) cogain (dot) org

The aim is to assist the detailed development of eye tracking hardware and software, including signal processing by dynamically updating the implemented reference catalogue. Our goal is to study and develop algorithms for image and signal processing, synthesis, visualisation, coding and transmission, which will then be applied for gaze communication systems. Furthermore, to investigate the possibilities lying in new imaging modalities and exploitation thereof. Our aim is to develop solutions that would provide the users a possibility to select either an off-the-shelf, or a custom designed eye tracker solution.

WP6: Analysis and evaluation

From the beginning of the second project year, WP6 was merged into WP3 (user involvement). Analysis and evaluation are made in conjunction with user trials within WP3. User trial reports will contain a section about the evaluation methodologies and metrics.

WP7: Community outreach

WP Leader: University of Tampere (UTA)
Contact: stina (dot) boedeker (at) cogain (dot) org

COGAIN involves relevant industrial hardware (eye trackers) and software developers and retailers to ensure best technical know-how and marketing of the new systems and ideas. One of the goals is to strengthen the economic validity of the research done within COGAIN. Furthermore, the aim of COGAIN is to ensure that the knowledge acquired by academic partners will be available for both general public and industrial companies working in the field of eye tracking and AAC.

WP8: Academic impact

WP Leader: University of Tampere (UTA)
Contact: paivi (dot) majaranta (at) cogain (dot) org

The objective of WP8 is to share knowledge on eye tracking principles, applications and equipment. Our goal is to disseminate the knowledge and research results from COGAIN fast and efficiently for the researchers, developers and general public.

WP9: Management

WP Leader: University of Tampere (UTA)
Contact: stina (dot) boedeker (at) cogain (dot) org

Overall day-to-day project management, including monitoring activities, reporting progress, financial management and coordination of project meetings and deliverables. Refinements of plans for the later phases. The aim is to ensure a smoothly running and successful project that produces the desired outcome within the resources of time and money.