A new concept for visual aids: "ViSAR" Visual Signal Adaptive Restitution

Abstract

This paper introduces a new visual device concept for patients with partially sight loss named Visual Signal Adaptive Restitution (ViSAR). This new concept adapt the signal visual itself to the patient's visual discomfort in real time. While most device tends to compensate for physiology anomaly, ViSAR concept allows to improve the patient-signal interaction and to favor an active vision. This system is the first interacting with eye movements and adapting signal to patient cognitive behavior. Patients do not do anything, ViSAR adapts visual signal to patient's visual discomfort without changing visual and referential reflexes. This new concept involves at the same time engineer, ophthalmologic, optometric and cognitive competencies. ViSAR concept offers a new visual device generation satisfying the growing needs in assistance technology.

High Tech Aids Low Vision: A Review of Image Processing for the Visually Impaired

“…The majority of participants trialing this technique were normally sighted with simulated central scotomas, but two had central field loss (CFL). [58][59][60][61] A modest improvement in reading rate was found in both groups. This may encourage others to update this work with the advances in technology made since its publication, perhaps allowing time for perceptual adaptation.…”

Low vision assistance using face detection and tracking on android smartphones

“…However, a dedicated device requires specialized hardware, which can be costly and difficult to carry. Scherlen and Gautier have developed a system to assist patients with centrally-located scotomas by visual signal adaptive restitution (ViSAR) [2]. Their active vision system is built around the idea of observing the user, interpreting cognitive discomfort and restituting the signal by relocating information that would normally be obscured by a scotoma.…”