Automated Vision Tester Technology Development for Aircrew Clinical Vision Screening

The objective of this Phase I proposal is to develop, design, and prototype a computer-based, Automated Vision Tester (AVT) for comprehensive vision screening of military aircrew. A fully realized AVT would combine a variety of clinical screening tests into a unified, automated tabletop unit capable of conducting screenings at both near (14 in./35 cm) and far (20 ft/6 m) distances. The ideal test battery would include automated, quantitative measures of acuity, stereoacuity, pupillary response, contrast, and color perception as well measures of oculomotor function, such as detection of strabismus and quantification of saccade latency and speed. When fully developed, the AVT would replace a battery of time- and labor-intensive screening procedures, reducing the need for supervision while also reducing administration errors and potential for subject compensation.