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| Pupil Labs | |
|---|---|
| Name | Pupil Labs |
| Type | Private |
| Industry | Eye tracking, Computer vision, Human–computer interaction |
| Founded | 2013 |
| Founders | Jonas B. Braasch, Moritz Kassner |
| Headquarters | Berlin, Germany |
| Products | Eye trackers, Eye-tracking software, Head-mounted displays |
Pupil Labs is a German company specializing in eye-tracking hardware and software for research and commercial applications, founded in 2013 by researchers linked to academic institutions and technology startups. The company develops head-mounted eye trackers, open-source analysis tools, and software platforms used across neuroscience, psychology, ophthalmology, robotics, virtual reality, and human–computer interaction studies. Their work intersects with hardware makers and research groups around the world, influencing protocols in experimental psychology, cognitive neuroscience, and computer vision.
Founded in 2013, the company emerged from a milieu that included researchers associated with the Max Planck Society, the Technische Universität Berlin, and entrepreneurship networks in Berlin. Early milestones involved collaborations with laboratories engaged in projects funded by European research programs such as Horizon 2020 and collaborations with technology accelerators like Startupbootcamp and incubators linked to TU Berlin. Over time, the company expanded product lines and community contributions, participating in exhibitions and conferences including SIGGRAPH, CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, and the European Conference on Computer Vision. Key personnel movements connected the firm to academic labs at institutions such as University of Cambridge, University College London, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology through visiting researchers and joint projects.
The company produces head-mounted eye trackers and modular hardware used in lab and field settings, integrating components similar to those developed by manufacturers such as Sony, Intel, and NVIDIA for imaging and processing. Their device lineup emphasizes mobile eye-tracking rigs compatible with mixed-reality platforms from Meta Platforms, Microsoft, and HTC Corporation and with motion-capture systems by Vicon and OptiTrack. Optics and sensor choices reflect standards used in instrumentation by firms like FLIR Systems and Basler AG, while firmware and embedded computing elements align with platforms promoted by Raspberry Pi Foundation and ARM Holdings. The hardware supports synchronized data capture with peripheral systems including electroencephalography setups from Brain Products GmbH and motion sensors produced by Bosch Sensortec.
A core aspect of the company’s offering is an open-source software stack that includes real-time pupil detection, gaze mapping, and data export utilities, drawing on algorithms and libraries from projects such as OpenCV, TensorFlow, and Keras. The software ecosystem supports interoperability with analysis environments like MATLAB, Python (programming language), and R (programming language), and integrates visualization workflows common to tools such as Pandas (software library), NumPy, and Matplotlib. Documentation, community plugins, and development practices mirror contributions seen on platforms like GitHub and coordination frameworks similar to those used by the Apache Software Foundation. Licensing choices and community engagement strategies reflect precedents set by projects such as Linux kernel, Blender, and Arduino.
Devices and software are applied across experimental settings in laboratories run by groups at Harvard University, Stanford University, and University of Oxford for studies in visual attention, reading, and social cognition. Clinical uses involve collaborations with hospitals and institutes like Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin and research centers working on ophthalmic disorders alongside units at Johns Hopkins University and Mayo Clinic. Industrial deployments include user experience testing for consumer electronics firms such as Samsung Electronics, automotive ergonomics projects with suppliers related to Daimler AG and Bosch, and gaze-driven interaction prototypes explored at companies like Google and Apple Inc.. In robotics and autonomous systems, integration with platforms from Boston Dynamics and research groups at ETH Zurich has supported studies of human–robot interaction and embodied AI.
The company has been cited in peer-reviewed studies from conferences and journals affiliated with organizations like Association for Computing Machinery, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, and publishers such as Springer Science+Business Media and Elsevier. Collaborative projects have linked the firm to academic consortia including teams from University of California, Berkeley, University of Toronto, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, and Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences. Industry partnerships and pilot programs connected them with firms in augmented reality and eyewear markets like Vuzix, Magic Leap, and Snap Inc., and with standards bodies and initiatives related to sensor interoperability exemplified by Khronos Group and W3C working groups.
As a private company headquartered in Berlin, the firm has navigated seed and growth financing rounds involving venture investors, angel networks, and grant funding structures reminiscent of those used by startups affiliated with European Investment Fund programs and national innovation agencies such as Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung. Strategic hires and advisory roles have included individuals with backgrounds at organizations like Siemens, BMW Group, and academic appointments at Freie Universität Berlin' and Humboldt University of Berlin. Corporate governance and commercialization strategies show parallels to other European deep-tech startups that progressed from research spin-offs to international suppliers of scientific instrumentation.
Category:Eye tracking companies