Visibility Vol 11 Issue 3 & 4, 2017

Magnification is used in low vision rehabilitation to compensate for reduced visual acuity. Using digital image processing, we are testing the effectiveness and utility of two innovative approaches to magnification, a virtual bioptic telescope and a virtual projection screen, that employ mixed and virtual reality methods in a head-mounted display (HMD) equipped with a high-resolution video camera and head trackers (Iris Vision, Visionize LLC). The virtual bioptic telescope provides user-controlled magnification embedded in a 70o x 500 unmagnified binocular field of view. The virtual projection screen presents the user with a 100o x 100o binocularly-viewed display that can be explored with head movements. The aim of our study is to determine if these innovative image processing approaches to magnification are beneficial to low vision patients when used to perform their personal everyday activities.

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