Don't Look at the Camera: Achieving Perceived Eye Contact

TL;DR

This paper investigates how to best simulate eye contact in video displays, revealing that looking just below the camera lens enhances perceived eye contact rather than looking directly into it.

Contribution

It provides empirical evidence that looking slightly below the camera lens improves perceived eye contact, challenging conventional wisdom.

Findings

Looking below the camera lens increases perceived eye contact.

Empirical user studies support the new gaze strategy.

Quantitative assessment guides optimal gaze direction for video communication.

Abstract

We consider the question of how to best achieve the perception of eye contact when a person is captured by camera and then rendered on a 2D display. For single subjects photographed by a camera, conventional wisdom tells us that looking directly into the camera achieves eye contact. Through empirical user studies, we show that it is instead preferable to {\em look just below the camera lens}. We quantitatively assess where subjects should direct their gaze relative to a camera lens to optimize the perception that they are making eye contact.