A “Remapped Reality” — Using Virtual Reality to Remap the Visual Field

<p class="p1"><span class="s1"><em>This podcast is about big ideas on how technology is making life better for people with vision loss.</em></span></p> <p class="p1"><span class="s1">Today’s big idea is the power of virtual reality - how people are using VR to remap sight and help people with vision loss in their daily lives Dr. Roberts visits with Grace</span> <span class="s3">Andruszkiewicz</span> <span class="s1">and Dr. Frank Werblin about how emerging technologies help people with low vision access the areas of vision they still have, by using a virtual reality system. They also talk about how sight works biologically, and how one such device, IrisVision, works to connect people socially. </span></p> <p class="p1"><strong><span class="s1">The Big Takeaways:</span></strong></p> <ul class="ul1"> <li class="li1"><span class="s1">Virtual reality changes the sensory inputs our brain receives, to change the visual field our eyes are scanning and the sounds we are hearing. These new inputs trick the brain into thinking we’re in a different reality. </span></li> <li class="li1"><span class="s1">IrisVision is a combination of a Samsung phone and a headset for virtual reality that modulates the visual field of a person with low vision so they can see better. The technology re-maps the visual world they’re seeing so it becomes resonant with their individual pathology.</span></li> <li class="li1"><span class="s1">The development of IrisVision technology started as a device to improve macular degeneration, but has evolved to resolve any type of visual pathology (retinal versus cortical), including magnification or “minification” (reducing the size) to modify the visual field depending on the user’s visual function. </span></li> <li class="li1"><span class="s1">IrisVision re-mapping provides the brain access to the raw material; after using the device for a few months, users’ native vision is often improved, ultimately leading to a renewed social connection for users. </span></li> <li class="li1"><span class="s1">People w