Japanese scientists have developed a VR game with the aim of improving eyesight, and the test results look promising.
As reported by MoguLive and translated by Automaton, The Graduate School of Science and Engineering at Kwansei Gakuin University presented a paper entitled “Testing the effect VR game designed to restore young people’s eyesight.”
During the study, university scientists developed a VR game in response to the issue of “eye strain” and “deterioration of vision” caused by devices such as computers, smartphones, and tablets.
The paper notes that the decline of vision is caused by excessive fatigue and tension in the ciliary muscles of the eye, which are responsible for focusing on objects at different distances. If left untreated, people can develop Short-sightedness – a common eye condition where you can’t see objects far away clearly.
However, Short-sightedness can be healed with eye exercises. This is where the VR game comes in, as it features perspective exercises, distance gaze, and binocular stereoscopic vision.
VR game could improve eyesight
The game itself is pretty simple. It involves players pushing back multiple ring-shaped targets (Landolt Cs) with their controller before using a laser pointer to hit the targets, which trigger a Hit, Combo, or Miss depending on your accuracy.
The minigame aims to encourage the eye muscles to stretch by having players alternate between perspective distances or having them fixate on a distant target.
According to the paper, scientists used the VR game over six weeks on 10 participants aged between 22 and 36. Participants chosen had no signs of eye disease and played the game at least once every three days.
Once the experiment had concluded, it was discovered that players’ eyesight had improved after the experiment. In particular, participants with severe nearsightedness (objects farther away appear blurred) showed the greatest signs of eyesight improvement.
However, it’s worth noting that, in addition to only having 10 participants, the paper states that all were young and that other factors may have influenced the improvements in their vision. As a result, further testing and research are planned to validate these results.
So, while it’s still early days, future tests could involve strapping on a VR headset and shooting targets with a laser pointer.
