Visualization of Transfer Characteristics of Eye Movements

This paper describes a method, inspired by voiceprints, to visualize dynamical features of the counter-rolling: rotational eye movements being made when our bodies are tilted. We identify the experimental time series with a discrete time-varying model by means of Kalman filters and visualize magnitudes of the internal model parameters. The obtained images visualize the time-varying impulse response (TVIR) of the counter-rolling system. An irregular eye movement with small jumps can be characterized as clear borders in the TVIR image. The method is expected to provide a useful tool for various diagnostic purposes. It may also be worth noting that many theoretical tools for complex dynamical systems have also been inspired by visual images called strange attractors.