From the optical bench to augmented reality—or: Choosing the right medium is crucial for content-performance.
This is why we designed our follow-up project as an explanatory aid for use in ophthalmologists' practices. The “Virtual Vision Experience 1” app helps patients understand age-related vision degradation and makes it experienceable with the help of their ophthalmologist.
Starting point 2021:
All previous depictions of age-related vision degradation have one thing in common: they are boring and have looked the same for decades. It is always rays of light falling into an eye that has been cut open—this was already boring, when it was taught in the 7th grade biology textbook.
Our task:
Explaining age-related vision degradation in a new way—but how?
Our solution:
We used three didactic steps:
1. Back to basics:
We radically reduced the complexity of the medical depiction and made the physics behind it interactively understandable. To do this, we developed an iPad app in which we arrange an object, an aperture, a lens and an image on an optical bench. Ophthalmologists can move the individual parts of the system with their fingers during the explanation and directly show the optical effects.
This allows patients to playfully understand how vision works. Further elements can then be added step by step to show the most common visual impairments.
2. Information on corrective treatment:
Following the interactive explanation, ophthalmologists can interactively demonstrate the use, function and effect of the different corrective lenses.
So much for understanding - now what about experiencing?
That's the third step - the virtual test viewing!
3. Virtual test viewing:
With augmented reality technology, patients see their surroundings through the iPad camera. Different visual defects can be selected at the bottom of the screen: From long-sightedness, short-sightedness or age-related vision degradation, to cloudy vision.
Patients see the effects of vision loss in real time on the iPad screen. To show even more clearly how vision is deteriorating, they can split the screen. Age-related vision degradation is shown on one side and Optimal Natural Vision is shown on the other as a reference value.
Scientifically correct, interactively experiencable and therefore easy to understand—together with 1stQ, we make complex topics easily accessible. Because only when patients understand and experience how vision and vision defects work can they make an informed decision for or against intraocular lenses.
Next week we jump from augmented reality into virtual reality—stay tuned!
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