Your Next Vision Exam May Involve Playing Video Games RightEye technology employs PC video games and eye tracking to change the way vision is tested, and is even used for concussion detection.

By John Gaudiosi

This story originally appeared on Fortune Magazine

shutterstock

RightEye LLC is debuting new PC video games with eye-tracking technology at CES 2016 that will help eye doctors more accurately test vision.

More than half of the kids that go through school or pediatric vision screenings every year have vision disorders that go unnoticed, according to the College of Optometrists in Vision Development (COVD), a non-profit, international membership association of eye care professionals.

An estimated 10 million children suffer from vision problems, according to the National Parent Teacher Association. And the American Optometric Association found that 60% of students identified as "problem learners" have undetected vision problems.

"There hasn't been a significant change or improvement in tools for vision testing in more than two decades," says Adam Gross, CEO and co-founder of RightEye. "With gaming, you can fully engage the patients and provide a fun, yet effective way to gain immediate interaction and response."

Advances in eye tracking technology, which are now being used in the video game industry as well as virtual reality and augmented reality markets, have allowed RightEye to design its new tests.

Gross says focusing on video games was as much about the science of tracking and collecting information about patients' vision, as it is about the psychology in having a testing format that appeals to a wide range of ages and cognitive abilities—from children through elderly—regardless of reading or language skills.

Patient interaction varies from the simply following a point around a circle on the screen to more complex scenarios that require the patient to make a cognitive decision—should the image popping onto the screen be saved (the world) or destroyed (an alien).

"Some tests, such as that for depth perception, require the use of 3D gaming glasses," Gross says. "That test asks the patient to decide if the image is moving towards them or not."

The company is demonstrating two new categories of vision tests at CES, both of which use video games and eye tracking technology. Gross says RightEye Essential Vision has been designed to one day replace the standard vision screenings used around the world.

John Gaudiosi has been covering the video game industry for over 25 years for outlets like The Washington Post, The Hollywood Reporter, Wired, Reuters and Fortune. He's also focused on the burgeoning virtual reality and augmented reality verticals, as well as eSports (competitive gaming).

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Marketing

Why Emotional Branding is Out and Functional Loyalty Is In

Emotional branding is no longer enough. Today's consumers reward functionality, not just familiarity.

Starting a Business

How These 2 Stanford Students Turned a College Project Into a WNBA Partnership

Amanda Calabrese and Greta Meyer turned a college project into Sequel, the first spiral tampon, now backed by a WNBA partnership with the Indiana Fever.

Growing a Business

Why Nobody's Reading Your Company Blog — and How to Fix It

If your company updates are being ignored, it might be time to rethink your strategy. Here's how to craft updates that actually get read — and drive engagement across your team.

Business Ideas

70 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2025

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2025.

Data & Recovery

Ditch Monthly Fees with 2TB of Lifetime Cloud Storage from Scramble

A reliable solution for storing contracts, media, and sensitive business data.

Business News

ChatGPT's New Update Can Create PowerPoint Presentations and Excel Spreadsheets for You

The new AI agent can generate Google Sheets and slide decks, making it a powerful new office tool.