Tobii Receives €16 Million Investment From Intel Capital

    The Swedish eye-tracking technology company, Tobii, has received SEK 143 million (€16 million) from Intel Capital. The investment implies that Intel is looking for new machine-human interfaces, which Tobii has been working on for 12 years. So far, Tobii has focused its technology in the world of advertising services, however it’s clear the that the company is also working on human-machine interfaces using their eye-tracking technology.

    The funding will be used to continue R&D investments in core technology and to take eye tracking and gaze interaction to mainstream computers and other mass-market applications.

    ComputerSweden reports that the size of the device and the price tag of SEK 100 000 per Tobii unit has been a major limiting factor of the spread of Tobii technology, however the newest models have been built into computers at reasonable prices.

    When speaking to ComputerSweden, Executive Vice President and CTO John Elvesjö says that larger volumes should push down prices, as it has been mostly development costs which have made Tobii expensive. Earlier this spring at the CES in Las Vegas, the company demonstrated Tobii Gaze, an interface that allowed users to control Windows 8 without their hands.

    The 143 million kroner investment was made for a reported 10% stake in the company.