Comparative Eye Tracking Analysis Based on Eye Anatomy Using Meta Quest Pro

Abstract Meta Quest Pro-based eye and facial tracking technology plays an essential role in studies related to visual attention, cognitive processes, user interactions, and human behavior analysis. However, differences in eye anatomy, such as outer canthal distance (OCD), interpupillary distance (IPD), and intercanthal distance (ICD), may impact the accuracy & reliability of eye movement data. This study aims to evaluate the impact of inter-eye distance variations on eye-movement-based feature extraction in VR environments using the head-mounted device Meta Quest Pro. The data collection process involved eye measurements (OCD, IPD, and ICD), an eye calibration test before the experiment, and three experimental tasks: fixed gaze task, regular eye movement task, and irregular eye movement task. The Meta Quest Pro recorded participants’ eye movements while they performed VR-based tasks, followed by the extraction of eye-related features from the device. The dataset underwent Shapiro–Wilk, and D’Agostino–Pearson normality tests, followed by statistical analysis (Spearman Correlation, Kruskal–Wallis, and Mann–Whitney U test) to assess differences in eye-movement correlations across wide, narrow, and average eye distance groups. The results of statistical tests did not indicate a significant influence of inter-eye distance on eye movement tracking accuracy. This study is important for research, including learning disabilities research, child and adult behavior analysis, and human–computer interaction, ensuring that eye data remains accurate and reliable across diverse users.