Smart billboards track eye movements

Big brother may not be watching you, but billboards soon could be.

Advertising is being launched into the future with the development of smart billboards – and a Hamilton competition may be the launchpad.

Wai Wai Analytics are vying for the Innes 48 Hrs business startup competition in Hamilton and are developing tools to track consumers’ behaviour.

They want to know how long people look at billboard advertising while walking along footpaths.

The project has the potential to expand into other areas like TV and online data collection.

Ken Kauluwehi, spokesman for Wai Wai Analytics, said they are developing a system that has the ability to analyse consumer behaviour in an area that has been hit and miss.

“Our system will be able to collect data from people on the street and track eye movement as they walk by.”

A camera installed in the back of a billboard will capture a consumer’s eye and follow it to different parts of the advertisement.

It will collect data on the amount of time spent looking at an advertisement.

It will identify trends, collect information on peak traffic flows and preferences on age, gender and ethnicity.

“The technology for this exists but is not used in this context,” said Mr Kauluwehi.

Wai Wai Analytics will achieve real time, live data to better understand consumer behaviour, he said.

Mr Kauluwehi is convinced his team has the product to win the Innes 48 Hrs competition and wants to keep it going after the competition ends.

“We are excited about this,” he said. “We believe in this product.”

The Wai Wai Analytics team of five has had very little sleep over the weekend but Mr Kauluwehi is confident.

“We’re going to win this thing.”