At the Human Lab at DTU Compute we use the Tobii 4C and the Tobii Fusion eye trackers (as well as a Tobii TX-300, which however comes with it’s own computer).

Typically these are used as part of a custom setup where a program/script shows some stimuli and data is then simultaneously retrieved from the tracker – either directly via the same setup or as a parallel process that just collects data and stores it for later use.

To get you started with the 4C (or in rare cases the Fusion) eye tracker, follow the procedure below:

Install drivers

If you use one of the stationary computers in the HumanLab in 322, you don’t need to follow this step.

If you need to use another computer, follow these steps to install the correct driver and support software:

Tobii 4C

Go to the Tobii Hub and install the Eye Tracking Core Software. Note that the Tobii download page says this software does not support Windows 11(!), elsewhere it says limited support… There is no Mac driver that I’m aware of currently. For Linux, there has been some attempts to get it running but no official support.

You can use the Tobii software when you calibrate the device to your test subjects.

Tobii Fusion

You should typically NOT need to make the Tobii Fusion run with your own computer as that device should only be used inside the lab, unless specific arrangements have been made otherwise. In case you need to, however, here are the steps:

Install the Tobii Pro Eye Tracker Manager and follow the instructions.

Windows 10 and 11, as well as at least some Mac and Linux (Ubuntu) installations are supported.

Discontinued Eye Trackers

Have a look here for how to download previous versions of the Eye Tracker Manager and SDK. See also this.

Install a suitable Python version

For a working Python setup, first install a suitable Python version. Currently (September 2024) only version 3.10 is supported if you want to use the Tobii Pro SDK. If using anaconda/miniconda, you could create a new environment and install the correct version, like:

conda create -n tobii  -y
conda activate tobii
conda install python=3.10

Note: If you’re on an ARM Mac, you may need to create the environment as follows to get an Intel Python installed, as Tobii does not currently deliver an ARM version of their sofware:

conda create -n tobii  -y
conda activate tobii
conda config --env --set subdir osx-64
conda install python=3.10

After this, install any packages you may need, e.g.

conda install numpy pandas

Install Tobii Pro SDK

Then install the Tobii Pro SDK largely following the instructions from here (or manually using the link here to download the right version). Typically this can be done as follows:

# Linux or OS X:  
pip install -U pip setuptools
pip install tobii-research


# On Windows:
python -m pip install -U pip setuptools
pip install tobii-research

Note that the pip package name is tobii-research, not tobii_research (the Tobii instructions are not correct).

Get started recording data

Finally, you’re ready to start working with the data.

For an example of how to read data from Python, have a look at e.g. the following repository that shows how to connect to the eye tracker, retrieve data and push it on a lab streaming layer outlet. It is relatively straightforward to change to e.g. store data locally in a CSV file.

Simple LSL Interface using Tobii Pro SDK.

For the Tobii 4C you will need, however, a licence file (that is used/referenced from the code above). When using an eye tracker from the lab, note down the serial number and mail it to me and I’ll send you the correct file.

To actually record calibrated data, you may use the Tobii applications to calibrate to the individual, as a convenience.

If you have difficulties getting things to work, check also Tobii’s troubleshooting guide.