Eye-Tracking Cameras Join Simulator Training to Show How Pilots Scan the Flight Deck

Cineon has partnered with Smart Eye to bring environmental eye tracking into simulator-based pilot training. Smart Eye's MicroBird system, which uses discreetly mounted cockpit cameras rather than wearable devices, is combined with Cineon's Empathic Learning Engine. Custom cockpit models allow gaze to be mapped to specific instruments, producing objective insight into scanning patterns and situational awareness as part of an assessment of competency and cognition. The camera-based approach works with pilots wearing prescription glasses, which the companies say overcomes a persistent barrier to using eye tracking in aviation. Cineon is developing a dedicated dashboard tailored to the Smart Eye data. Cineon's founder, Toby de Burgh, said eye tracking has always had huge potential in aviation but has not been easy to use at scale in practice. Smart Eye's applied AI vice president Solmaz Shahmehr said the collaboration shows how eye tracking can unlock deeper understanding in complex, safety-critical environments.