Attention Cursor / Referential Return

Purpose

Demonstrate nomination by attention return while preserving a separate explicit commitment action.

Mechanism

A camera-free simulation presents several world candidates and a device. A synthetic attention-return signal updates candidate confidence. The user must explicitly commit, correct, or cancel.

Deterministic fixture

A desk scene with chair, mug, notebook, lamp, and screen targets; ambiguous returns; one privacy-disabled condition.

The fixture must live in content/demos/d12-attention-cursor/fixture.json, validate before the demo renders, and be resettable without a network call. A future live adapter may be added behind a visibly separate mode.

Required controls

• Select gaze path
• Return to device
• Adjust sensor uncertainty
• Nominate
• Commit
• Correct target
• Cancel
• Disable sensing
• Review event log

Visible states

• NO_CANDIDATE
• NOMINATED
• AMBIGUOUS
• COMMITTED
• CORRECTED
• CANCELLED
• SENSING_OFF

Every state must have text, iconography, and a non-color-only distinction. State transitions are logged in an in-memory demo receipt visible in the inspector.

Core assertions

1. Nomination never performs the action.
2. Ambiguity remains visible.
3. Correction updates the event without rewriting the original nomination.
4. Disabled sensing yields a complete manual path.

Layout

The page contains:

1. a concise mechanism explanation;
2. the interactive stage;
3. a state and evidence inspector;
4. a reset control;
5. a “what this proves / what it does not prove” panel;
6. links to the related paper and benchmark contract.

On narrow screens the inspector becomes a bottom sheet. The stage must remain usable at 360 CSS pixels.

Accessibility

• All operations are keyboard reachable.
• Pointer gestures have button or keyboard equivalents.
• Animated transitions honor prefers-reduced-motion.
• Focus remains visible and returns predictably after sheets close.
• Diagrams expose concise text alternatives.
• Status is announced through a polite live region only when the user initiates the transition.

Instrumentation

Record locally:

demo_id
fixture_version
action
prior_state
result_state
validation_result
timestamp_relative

Do not send telemetry. Provide “Export demo trace” as JSON for debugging and reproducibility.

Automated tests

• fixture schema validation;
• deterministic reset;
• every required control transition;
• every assertion above;
• invalid and stale fixture handling;
• keyboard path;
• 360 px and 1440 px screenshots;
• zero critical console errors;
• no request to a paid API in default mode.

Publication boundary

The simulation does not measure real eye tracking. A qualifying claim requires a consented human-device study.

The interface must never convert illustrative values into a benchmark claim. A measured result appears only when linked to a versioned run receipt.