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Home » Products » Research & Scientific Instruments » Eye Tracking » Shimmer3 GSR+

Shimmer3R GSR+ — A wireless skin response sensor for arousal research

A lightweight, matchbox-sized unit on the wrist and two electrodes on the fingers. It measures skin conductance (GSR, EDA) — a signal that rises when something moves us: surprise, stress, mental effort. In Tobii Pro Lab you record it together with gaze and know what the participant was looking at when their arousal rose.

Request a quote Technical specifications

0.2–100µSGSR measurement range

65×32mmthe size of a matchbox

Bluetoothno cable to the computer

Pro LabGSR and eye tracking in one recording

A hand with two GSR electrodes on the fingers and a Shimmer3R GSR+ unit strapped to the wrist

What is GSR / EDA

Arousal shows on the skin

GSR (galvanic skin response), also called EDA (electrodermal activity), is the electrical conductance of the skin. When something moves us, the nervous system activates the sweat glands — more moisture appears on the skin and current flows more easily. The sensor passes a very weak current between two electrodes on the fingers and measures how easily it passes through the skin. This produces an arousal signal that the participant does not consciously control.

A study participant watches a picture of an attacking snake on a monitor; a Shimmer sensor on the wrist and a Tobii eye tracker below the screen

StimulusAn image, a sound or a task appears on the screen.
The nervous system respondsArousal activates the sweat glands — including those on the hands.
Conductance risesThe chart shows a clear rise followed by a slow return.

Baseline level

Slowly changing background conductance (tonic component, SCL) — it tells you about the overall arousal state during a task.

Response to a stimulus

A short, clear rise (phasic component, SCR) after a specific event — this is what you align with the moment the participant saw something.

Intensity, not direction

GSR shows how strongly the body responded, not whether the emotion was pleasant. That is why it is combined with eye tracking, a questionnaire or facial expressions.

The chart and the markers on the photo are illustrative. Photo: Tobii (Shimmer integration with Tobii Pro Lab).

Sensor

A small unit, two electrodes, no cable

Shimmer3R GSR+ is a lightweight, matchbox-sized unit worn on the wrist. The two electrodes strap onto the fingers of one hand, and the signal goes wirelessly to the computer running Tobii Pro Lab — the participant is not tied to the station by a cable.

Shimmer3R GSR+ unit with two cables ending in Velcro electrodes that strap onto the fingers

Skin conductance

One GSR channel between two electrodes. Range 0.2–100 µS; four digitally switched ranges to accurately measure both dry and moist skin.

Wireless to Pro Lab

The unit transmits the signal via Bluetooth. The participant works freely at the screen, and the only cables run between the wrist and the fingers.

Choice of electrodes

Reusable finger electrodes are included. The sensor also works with disposable electrodes, attached to the palm or elsewhere on the body.

One recording, a shared timelineillustrative values

Time s	Stimulus	Gaze px	GSR µS
12.000	—	962, 540	4.82
11.750	—	958, 536	4.82
11.500	—	955, 541	4.83
11.250	—	951, 538	4.83
11.000	—	949, 544	4.84
10.750	—	946, 539	4.84

Gaze from the eye tracker, the GSR signal and stimulus onsets in one Pro Lab recording — that is why you can attribute a skin response to a specific image. Illustration, not the export file format.

In Tobii Pro Lab

GSR in the same software as eye tracking

The Shimmer sensor is integrated with Tobii Pro Lab. You do not need separate physiology software: you design, record and process the study in one place, and GSR is synchronized with gaze and stimuli.

Check the signal before you start

The participant’s GSR signal is visible live in the Record module and in the moderator view. You can assess signal quality before you begin and monitor it during the recording.
Record gaze and GSR together

Pro Lab records GSR simultaneously with data from a Tobii screen-based eye tracker and synchronizes them automatically. In Advanced Screen projects, GSR events go into the recording data.
Process and export

You align skin responses with the stimuli and with what the participant was looking at. You export raw GSR data for further analysis in other statistical software.

Tobii Pro Lab version 25.19 or later
Tobii screen-based eye trackers: Pro Spectrum, Pro Fusion, Pro Spark

Tobii Pro Lab

Photos and screenshot: Tobii. The “Live GSR” window and the gaze points on the photo are illustrative.

Why Shimmer from Interlab

GSR in the software you already know from eye tracking

GSR is often combined with eye tracking through a subscription-based multimodal platform. With a Tobii eye tracker you can take a simpler route: you record the Shimmer sensor in Tobii Pro Lab, where you design the study and analyze gaze — and we set up the station at your facility.

Shimmer with Tobii Pro Lab from Interlab vs. a subscription platform
Feature	Shimmer + Tobii Pro Lab from Interlab	Subscription platform
GSR with eye tracking	in Tobii Pro Lab — recording and synchronization with gaze in the eye tracking software	a separate EDA/GSR module purchased on top of a mandatory core module
Software license	perpetual or subscription — your choice	annual renewal, paid in advance

Subscription platform: a popular multimodal platform; according to its manufacturer’s website, as of 2026-10.

What you get from Interlab

Sensor, eye tracker and Pro Lab — configured together

We select the kit for your research question, connect the sensor with the eye tracker and Pro Lab, and train your team.

Book a demo

Multimodal laboratoryTobii with Shimmer, and BIOPAC when more signals are needed. We will advise what suits your study.
Methodological adviceElectrode placement, rest period before measurement, response analysis windows — we discuss them before purchase.
Test before purchaseA demo or a test loan — try the sensor on your own study.
Installation and trainingWe set up the station with Tobii Pro Lab and train your team.
Authorized Tobii partnerTobii Pro Lab licenses and updates, manufacturer’s warranty.
Local support in PolandTechnical and methodological help after purchase; descriptions for grants and tenders.

Multimodal laboratory

What they looked at and how strongly they reacted — in one recording

Eye tracking tells you what the participant was looking at, GSR — how strongly they reacted. In Tobii Pro Lab both signals go onto a shared timeline together with the stimuli, so you can attribute a skin response to a specific image or film segment. When a study needs more physiology — ECG, EMG, EEG — we build the laboratory on a BIOPAC system.

Recording in Tobii Pro Labillustrative traces

Eye tracking + GSR

Shimmer3R GSR+ in Tobii Pro Lab

GSR and gaze in one recording, synchronized automatically
Tobii screen-based eye trackers, design and analysis in one software
sensor on the wrist, no cable to the computer

A good choice when skin response is exactly what you need alongside eye tracking.

Other devices

Markers from Pro Lab

Pro Lab sends and receives TTL markers (Advanced Screen project)
e.g. an EEG system records stimulus onsets in its own software
USB–TTL adapters and TriggerBox Plus

A good choice when a separate measurement system runs alongside eye tracking and GSR.

Full physiology

BIOPAC MP200 laboratory

EDA in its own BIOPAC module alongside ECG, EMG, EEG, respiration, skin temperature — also wireless (BioNomadix)
MP200: 16 analog channels up to 100 kHz per channel and 16 digital lines
AcqKnowledge 6 supports Tobii eye trackers

A good choice when skin response is to be one of many physiological signals.

The traces in the diagram are illustrative. TTL markers: tobii.com (Tobii Pro Lab). BIOPAC data: biopac.com (MP200 data sheet, AcqKnowledge — new features).

Applications

Where skin response is measured

Wherever what matters is not only what someone says, but also how strongly their body reacts.

Psychology of emotion and stress

Responses to emotional stimuli, anxiety and stress — with control over what the participant was looking at.

Clinical research

E.g. post-traumatic stress disorder research — the body’s reactivity to selected stimuli.

Ad and media testing

Which moments of an ad or a film engage most — second by second.

Usability and UX

Task difficulty and confusion when working with a website, an app or a device.

Mental effort

Arousal during cognitive tasks and in human factors research.

Marketing research

Responses to products, packaging and messages — alongside what the customer was looking at.

Applications according to Tobii (combining eye tracking and GSR) and Shimmer. The lines on the cards are illustrative.

Specifications

Technical specifications

According to the manufacturer’s specifications. Shimmer3R GSR+ is the current version of the sensor; the GSR measurement range and bandwidth are the same as in the previous Shimmer3 GSR+ version.

Shimmer3R GSR+ technical specifications
Parameter	Value
GSR measurement
Channels	1 GSR channel (analog), electrodes on two fingers of one hand
Measurement range	10 kΩ – 4.7 MΩ (0.2–100 µS) ±10%22–680 kΩ (1.5–45 µS) ±3%; 4 digitally switched ranges
Bandwidth	DC – 15.9 Hzcalculated value
Electrode voltage	0.5 V (constant voltage bias)
GSR channel current consumption	60 µAcalculated value
Input protection	RF/EMI filtering, current limiting, defibrillation protection (single event)
Connectors	2 × 1 mm touchproof (IEC/EN 60601-1, DIN 42-802)
Electrodes	reusable finger electrodes included; compatible with disposable electrodes (palm or other body location)
Device
Connectivity	Bluetooth
Dimensions	65 × 32 × 12 mma small, lightweight unit — the size of a matchbox
Battery	Li-ion 400 mAh
Mounting	wrist strap
Status	research device without medical certification; Shimmer3 platform with CE marking
Tobii integration
Tobii Pro Lab	version 25.19 or later — live preview, GSR recording and synchronization with eye tracking, raw GSR export
Eye trackers	Tobii screen-based, e.g. Pro Spectrum, Pro Fusion, Pro Spark
Kit with Tobii	GSR+ unit, reusable finger electrodes, wrist strap, single-unit docking station

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

What exactly does the GSR signal tell you?

How strongly the body responded — the level of arousal. It does not tell you whether the emotion was pleasant or not: a similar rise can come from surprise, fear or mental effort. That is why GSR is aligned with what the participant was looking at (eye tracking), with the task and with a questionnaire.

How does it work with Tobii Pro Lab?

The sensor is integrated with Pro Lab from version 25.19. Pro Lab shows the GSR signal live in the Record module and in the moderator view, records it simultaneously with data from Tobii screen-based eye trackers, synchronizes it automatically and lets you export raw GSR data.

Shimmer3 GSR+ or Shimmer3R GSR+?

Shimmer3R is the current version of the same sensor. The GSR measurement range and bandwidth have not changed. Tobii supports Shimmer3R in Pro Lab from version 25.19.

Can I measure GSR together with Tobii glasses?

The GSR integration in Tobii Pro Lab covers screen-based eye trackers. If you are planning a study with glasses and physiological measurement, write to us — we will find a solution for your study.

How long does the battery last?

The manufacturer does not give a single value. The unit has a 400 mAh Li-ion battery and charges in the docking station included in the kit; we will check the operating time for your study scenario during a demo.

Is it a medical device?

No. Shimmer3 is a research platform sold without medical certification — for scientific research and development, not for diagnostics.

Does Shimmer work with a BIOPAC system?

We do not combine them — at Interlab, Shimmer3R GSR+ works with Tobii Pro Lab. If skin response is to be one of many signals (ECG, EMG, EEG, respiration), we propose a BIOPAC MP200 laboratory with its own EDA module and AcqKnowledge software, which also supports Tobii eye trackers.

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