Through our combined efforts, we've made significant strides in understanding vision and visual impairments, developing new diagnostic tools, and creating helpful technologies.
We found that how people look around while climbing stairs depends on their habits, the instructions they receive, and their surroundings. This discovery can help create better rehabilitation plans for visually impaired individuals by tailoring advice to each person's needs instead of using a general approach. We also learned that certain types of vision loss, like "non-overlapping visual field defects," can greatly affect daily life, movement perception, and even mental health. This challenges the idea that early-stage glaucoma has no symptoms.
Our team designed new tests to better understand how people see objects out of the corner of their eye. These tests showed that people with early-stage glaucoma have trouble processing busy scenes, even before they notice vision loss. We also made a set of eye-tracking tests that measure functional vision more accurately than standard tests used in para sports. This can help reduce wrong classifications and make competitions fairer.
Using virtual reality (VR) and artificial intelligence (AI), we studied how glaucoma affects movement and navigation. We found that while glaucoma patients move more slowly, they can still navigate well. We also discovered that damage to the retina affects how people move and navigate. Additionally, we identified four types of vision impairment in children and found that retinal scans can help diagnose these conditions.
We created a vision testing system using smart glasses that can monitor vision at home. We also found that sending simple pen-and-paper vision tests to people's homes can help manage waiting lists better. Our research showed that many people have wrong ideas about glaucoma, especially younger, less-educated, and non-white groups.
Our team introduced a new method that tracks eye movements while watching short videos, giving insights into how well people see. This "free-viewing perimetry" approach can make vision testing easier and more accessible. We developed a game called "V-Spy Scotoma" that uses VR to map and simulate vision loss areas, showing how they affect perception. We also created a VR environment that showed how vision loss changes how people perceive sounds around them.
We made a method to measure vision clarity using brainwaves, which doesn't need verbal responses and makes vision tests more reliable for people who struggle with standard exams. Using AI, we improved mobile eye-tracking accuracy and developed a system to help people with prosthetic vision recognise objects better.
Finally, we created a bracelet that uses small vibrations to guide the hand towards objects, giving a "sense of touch" for visually impaired people. This device can help increase independence in daily tasks. Our achievements help improve the understanding and treatment of vision impairments, offering new solutions and a better quality of life for those affected.
