On December 11th, TARG met with Prof. Rigmor Baraas and her research team CVRI working on color vision and retinal imaging at the Department of Optometry, Radiography and Lighting Design, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences at USN. Prof. Baraas is the director of National Centre for Optics, Vision and Eye Care at USN. This meeting was prompted through the research teams learning of their shared interests in better understanding the effects of emerging immersive technologies on human performance and health.

TARG’s ongoing Virtual Reality project, InnoTraining, is investigating the utilization of Virtual Reality headsets in maritime education. A key element of the sustainable and responsible use of Virtual Reality in education and training is to investigate not only users’ learning outcomes, but also the effect of new technologies on
aspects of their health. As Virtual Reality headsets present virtual stimuli to users differently than traditional video screens or simulators, its effects on one’s eyes and vision is of high interest.

Picture1The research groups look to combine their shared interests and ongoing research projects to collect data on users of Virtual Reality and its impact on their ocular system. This meeting laid the foundation for better understanding of each group’s research personnel, projects and scope. Several gaps in the scientific literature and understanding of Virtual Reality and eye health were identified, and initial plans were formed to develop future collaboration points between the research teams.

 

TARG looks forward to working further with Prof. Baraas and her team in 2019 and beyond!