اثربخشی به ‌کارگیری هدست‌ واقعیت مجازی و تلفن هوشمند بر تقویت دید باقیمانده‌ افراد با آسیب بینایی

مقدمه: بسیاری از افراد نابینا دارای سطحی از دید باقیمانده هستند که ارتقای آن می‌تواند در استقلال و کیفیت زندگی آنان تاثیرگذار باشد. در سال‌های اخیر، به ‌کارگیری ابزارهای تقویت دیداری مورد توجه قرار گرفته است. اما تنوع پایین، دسترسی نسبتا دشوار و هزینه بالای فن‌آوری‌های موجود در بازار این محصولات، جایگزینی آنها با ابزارهای مقرون به صرفه‌تر را اجتناب‌ناپذیر می‌نماید. در این راستا، در این پژوهش، آزمایش‌هایی برای اثربخشی ارتقای دید باقیمانده با به ‌کارگیری هدست واقعیت مجازی و تلفن هوشمند طراحی شد.روش کار:برای انجام آزمایش‌ها، نرم‌افزار گرافیکی اختصاصی با بهره‌گیری از کتابخانه یونیتی (unity) تحت سیستم عامل اندروید توسعه داده شد. با توجه به اهمیت تشخیص شیء و حرکت در راه رفتن مستقل، آزمایش‌های تشخیص تعداد، نوع و حرکت اشیاء طراحی گردید. نکته کلیدی در طراحی آزمایش‌ها، استفاده از شکل‌های‌ ساده و تصویرهای سیاه و سفید بود. یافته‌ها: نتایج نشان داد در آزمایش‌های تشخیص تعداد، نوع و حرکت اشیا، به ترتیب 72 درصد، 78 درصد و 83 درصد از شرکت‌کنندگان موفق به ارائه پاسخ کاملا صحیح شدند.نتیجه‌گیری: اکثریت افراد شرکت‌کننده در این مطالعه، علی رغم دید باقیمانده پایین دارای درک حداقلی از نور و حرکت بودند و این نشان می‌دهد که ساده‌سازی اشیا و نیز نمایش اشیا با رنگ سفید در پس‌زمینه‌ سیاه، تاثیر قابل توجهی بر افزایش توانمندی بصری و تقویت دید افراد نا‌بینا دارد. در پایان، با توجه به قابلیت دسترسی و کم ‌هزینه بودن هدست‌های واقعیت مجازی و تلفن های هوشمند، نتایج این پژوهش چشم‌انداز روشنی در توان بخشی افراد نابینا ترسیم می‌نماید.

Effectiveness of applying virtual reality headset and smartphone on enhancement of the remaining vision in people with visual impairment

Introduction: The ability to see for people who have visual impairment is not always completely deteriorated. Indeed, enhancing the remaining vision boosts the quality of their life meanwhile they become more independent. In recent years, the application of visual augmentation tools has been considered by many researchers working on methods to increase the visual acuity status. However, the available smart glasses are low in diversity and are relatively difficult to access due to their high price. The objective of many scientific projects is to replace expensive smart glasses with more costeffective tools. In this regard, we have designed experiments to evaluate virtual reality headsets and smartphones rsquo; effectiveness to enhance remaining vision.Methods: In this case, a virtual reality headset is used as glasses, and a smartphone functions as the display, as well as the processor. Proprietary graphics software is developed by applying Unity libraries under the Android operating system to design the experiments. Three experiments were designed regarding the importance of the object and motion detection in partially sighted people rsquo;s independent mobility. The mentioned experiments recognized the number of objects, including five cylindrical columns, distinguishing the type of objects, including a circle and a square, and sensing the motion of objects, including a moving square. The key point in designing the experiments is that simple shapes and black and white images are used. Individuals rsquo; responses are recorded quantitatively 1, 0.5, and 0, representing totally correct, semicorrect, and totally wrong responses, respectively. In addition, a questionnaire is designed based on light and motion perception, as well as Daily Living Tasks Dependent on Vision (DLTV). The questionnaire is not only used to evaluate the quality of the remaining vision but also to identify the problems and needs concerning visually impaired people. There were four women and five men varied in age ranging from 34 to 79 participating in the study voluntarily. All the interviews were conducted face to face and unstructured. The participants were convenience samples of the Blind Society of Dezful city located in Khuzestan province. It is worth mentioning that all participants willingly consented to take part in experiments and interviews. Moreover, the names of the participants are not disclosed in public.Results: The results revealed that 72%, 78%, and 83% of the participants successfully recognized the number, type, and motion of objects, respectively. In general, participants discovered light and motion in 89% of all experiments. The interview findings revealed the extent of the visually impaired people rsquo;s ability to carry out daily living tasks and identify their primary and fundamental problems.Conclusion: Despite the low remaining vision, the majority of individuals participating in this study had a minimal perception of light and motion. Findings showed that simplifying objects and displaying white objects in a black background significantly impacted increasing visual capabilities and enhancing the vision of visually impaired people. Finally, due to the availability and low cost of virtual reality headsets and smartphones, this study rsquo;s findings draw a clear perspective on the rehabilitation of partially sighted people.