Workshop 4
Workshop 4
Deploying Eye-Tracking and EEG to Measure Perceptual Experience
Deploying Eye-Tracking and EEG to Measure Perceptual Experience
Tuesday 7 July 2026, 9:00 am to 12:30 am
Jennifer A. E. Shields, Associate Professor of Architecture, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. jeshield@calpoly.edu
Javier Gonzalez-Sanchez, Assistant Professor of Computer Science, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. javiergs@calpoly.edu
Anna Osello, Professor of Building Engineering and Director of the Drawing to the Future Lab, Politecnico di Torino. anna.osello@polito.it
Davide Aschieri, Researcher at the Drawing to the Future Lab, Politecnico di Torino. davide.aschieri @polito.it
This workshop addresses a central question in design cognition: how does visual attention vary across different spatial configurations? We are particularly interested in applying this question to sites of cultural heritage. This question will not remain theoretical but will structure the workshop itself. Participants will move from conceptual framing to live demonstration, experiencing how attention can be measured, visualized, and discussed in relation to architectural and design context.
This proposal outlines a half-day workshop focused on the quantification and evaluation of visual attention in cultural heritage contexts through the use of eye tracking technologies. EEG will be integrated in a secondary and exploratory capacity, mainly to provide complementary insight into cognitive load during selected activities. The primary methodological emphasis remains on eye tracking as a robust and accessible tool for design cognition research.
Building on the methodological approach of Dupont et al. (2016), who compared predicted and measured attention distributions in landscape contexts, the workshop proposes a parallel investigation applied to cultural heritage imagery. A contextual scale will guide the experimental activities:
Isolated architectural heritage
Urban-integrated heritage
Heritage in hybrid urban–natural contexts
Heritage-in-nature
The objective is to evaluate whether measurable differences emerge in gaze distribution, fixation coherence, and attentional patterns as contextual integration changes. Two structured practical activities will be implemented during the eye-tracking session.
Workshop Format
The workshop presenters will bring the required devices:
Pupil Labs Core wired eye-tracking glasses (1–2 units)
Emotiv Insight wireless 5-channel EEG headset (1-2 units)
Due to the availability of 1–2 eye-tracking systems, EEG headsets, and supervision requirements, participant numbers are limited. Other requirements:
One large seminar room or two adjacent smaller rooms
Stable and evenly distributed lighting to ensure reliable eye-tracking calibration
Personal laptops for participants are not required, as recording systems will be provided by the organizers. However, bringing a laptop is suggested for discussion activities.
The workshop is intended for both researchers and graduate students. Given its focus, it primarily targets architecture and design disciplines, but participants with technical engineering expertise are also welcome.
No prior experience with eye tracking or EEG is required, as foundational concepts will be introduced at the beginning of the session. If the conference/workshop format allows, optional preparatory readings may be shared in advance to provide conceptual background and help to orient participants.
Participation will be limited to approximately 15 attendees. The structure requires two groups of roughly 7-8 participants, rotating between activities during the experimental phase.
All attendees at the workshop need to register either as an addition to the DCC'26 conference registration at a cost of €27.50 (€25 + VAT), or if not registered for the conference at a cost of €55 (€50 + VAT). Please go the DCC'26 Registration page to add this workshop to your registration.