University of Calgary: Researcher works to eliminate barriers to eye exams using artificial intelligence and virtual reality

University of Calgary: Researcher works to eliminate barriers to eye exams using artificial intelligence and virtual reality. “RetinaLogik leverages the power of artificial intelligence and virtual reality by creating a portable eye test using virtual reality glasses that improve patient insights and vision screening for everyone everywhere. Not only does the platform aim to reduce misdiagnosis, improve portability and make eye exams more affordable, but the platform was designed to make it more engaging and comfortable for patients.”

WIRED: How to Use Your Smartphone to Cope With Vision Loss

WIRED: How to Use Your Smartphone to Cope With Vision Loss. “Whether you struggle to read distant signs or find yourself squinting to decipher small print, you probably have a gadget that can help. Too many of us ignore accessibility features, assuming they are only for the blind or severely vision-impaired, but they can also help folks with a wide range of vision loss issues.”

Seven Days Vermont: Shelburne Museum Focuses on Vision With the Online Exhibition ‘Eyesight & Insight’

Seven Days Vermont: Shelburne Museum Focuses on Vision With the Online Exhibition ‘Eyesight & Insight’ . “The exhibition is entirely online, preceding a gallery installation that will open in May. For now, viewers can scroll through a thoughtfully curated selection of artworks in which sight — physical or metaphorical — is the through line. What enriches this theme is the interlacing of visual clarity and developments in science, literacy, entertainment and personal agency. ‘Eyesight & Insight’ is divided into four chapters, each with a different focus. The exhibition as a whole is about way more than spectacles.”

Newswise: New Research Shows Virtual School Can Harm Children’s Vision

Newswise: New Research Shows Virtual School Can Harm Children’s Vision. “When COVID-19 first shut down classrooms and virtual schooling became the new norm, ophthalmologists predicted an increase in digital eye strain in children. New research from ophthalmologists at Wills Eye Hospital confirms that the increased screen time did lead to more eye strain in children, as well as a more troubling eye condition called convergence insufficiency, which can cause difficulty reading. The study is being presented at AAO 2021, the 125th annual meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology.”

EurekAlert: Smartphones could help to prevent glaucoma blindness – study

EurekAlert: Smartphones could help to prevent glaucoma blindness – study. “Smartphones could be used to scan people’s eyes for early-warning signs of glaucoma – helping to prevent severe ocular diseases and blindness, a new study reveals. Some of the most common eye-related diseases are avoidable and display strong risk factors before onset, but it is much harder to pinpoint a group of people at risk from glaucoma.”

Optometry Times: US launches searchable contact lens database

Optometry Times: US launches searchable contact lens database. “The listings are sustained and updated regularly by the Centre for Ocular Research & Education (CORE) at the University of Waterloo. The site allows visitors to filter, compare, and search for a variety of contact lenses and contact lens products. A feature allows manufacturers to log in and update product information directly, to keep listings current.”

Concordia University: Concordia postdoc builds a database to study the factors behind age-related sight loss

Concordia University: Concordia postdoc builds a database to study the factors behind age-related sight loss . “Caitlin Murphy (GrDip 08, MSc 10) is a postdoctoral research fellow at the Concordia Vision Lab. Her research investigates the physiology of the retina in individuals with visual impairment using optical coherence tomography. She is currently building a database of images of individuals with visual impairment, which will allow researchers to pursue interdisciplinary projects on vision and aging. She also hopes it will help clinicians to better understand how vision loss impacts other areas of health.”

Cornell Chronicle: Research reflects how AI sees through the looking glass

Cornell Chronicle: Research reflects how AI sees through the looking glass. “Things are different on the other side of the mirror. Text is backward. Clocks run counterclockwise. Cars drive on the wrong side of the road. Right hands become left hands. Intrigued by how reflection changes images in subtle and not-so-subtle ways, a team of Cornell researchers used artificial intelligence to investigate what sets originals apart from their reflections. Their algorithms learned to pick up on unexpected clues such as hair parts, gaze direction and, surprisingly, beards – findings with implications for training machine learning models and detecting faked images.”

Tarsier Goggles: a virtual reality tool for experiencing the optics of a dark-adapted primate visual system (Dartmouth Digital Commons)

Dartmouth Digital Commons: Tarsier Goggles: a virtual reality tool for experiencing the optics of a dark-adapted primate visual system . “Tarsier Goggles is a virtual reality (VR) project that allows everyone to experience how a tarsier might see. It serves as a tool to engage in hands-on scientific concepts in optics, perceptual science, and evolutionary biology, and also challenges our own thinking about our environment. The experience is self-guided and allows users to toggle between human and tarsier in order to explore different realistic environments with both sets of eyes. Built in Unity3D with SteamVR for the HTC Vive Pro. For various functionalities like teleportation, splash screens, and tooltips for our tutorial, we use Virtual Reality Toolkit (VRTK), an open source library.” Tarsiers are those primates with enormous eyes. MNN has a good overview.

EurekAlert: Brown researchers teach computers to see optical illusions

EurekAlert: Brown researchers teach computers to see optical illusions . “For the study, the team lead by [Thomas] Serre, who is affiliated with Brown’s Carney Institute for Brain Science, started with a computational model constrained by anatomical and neurophysiological data of the visual cortex. The model aimed to capture how neighboring cortical neurons send messages to each other and adjust one another’s responses when presented with complex stimuli such as contextual optical illusions.”

PR Newswire: MedGenome Launches Ophthatome Knowledgebase at ARVO 2018 (PRESS RELEASE)

PR Newswire: MedGenome Launches Ophthatome Knowledgebase at ARVO 2018 (PRESS RELEASE). “MedGenome announced the launch of OphthatomeTM Knowledgebase, a database with more than 500,000 clinical phenotype records for ocular research at ARVO 2018, the annual meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology. Ophthatome Knowledgebase was developed by MedGenome in collaboration with Narayana Nethralaya, a leading specialty eye-care hospital network based in Bangalore, India, and will be demonstrated at the conference April 29 – May 3.”

ReSpectacle: Database of Eyeglasses for People Who Could Not Otherwise Afford Vision Correction

New-to-Me, but apparently around for a while: a database of used eyeglasses made freely available for people would could not otherwise afford glasses. This is wonderful. From the About page: “Respectacle is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that uses the power of the Internet to facilitate redistribution of quality, used eyeglasses to underserved communities worldwide.”

Bustle: How To Tell If Your Solar Eclipse Glasses Are Safe, Because There Are Tons Of Fakes Floating Around

Bustle: How To Tell If Your Solar Eclipse Glasses Are Safe, Because There Are Tons Of Fakes Floating Around. “Solar eclipse excitement is sweeping the nation. If you plan to watch, you’ve likely loaded your phone with eclipse apps, started following eclipse-related social media accounts, bookmarked your live stream pages, and bought your eclipse glasses. But, how can you tell if your solar eclipse glasses are safe? There are tons of phony solar eclipse glasses out there, and if your glasses aren’t the real deal you could seriously damage your eyes during this Aug. 21 celestial event.” I swear this is my last 2017 eclipse link. Please be good to your eyes.

Woman Gets Sight Via Google Cardboard App

A woman who has lost much of her vision to disease can see again thanks to a Google Cardboard app. “The woman in question, Bonny, suffers from Stargardt disease. This is a common form of vision loss that causes the photoreceptor cells in the retina to die, which in turn could potentially cause complete vision loss. However thanks to the use of the Cardboard headset and an app called Near Sighted VR Augmented Aid, it has allowed Bonny to see again.” The story includes a video of Bonny using Google Cardboard and her victory dances when he realizes she can really see things. Please note I had to blow my nose and wipe my eyes multiple times during the video because of … allergies. Yeah. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.