Using Virtual Reality to Improve Self-Determination, Self-Esteem, and Interaction Skills in Minimizing Barriers to Education and Employment for Individuals with Disabilities.

Not Available Physical Optics Corporation (POC) proposes to develop an innovative protection device for human eyes and opticl sensors that performs regionally adaptive glare reduction. The critical elements are an ultracompact off-axis telescope, a microlens array-based limiter, and a regionally adaptive attenuator. The advantages of this innovative concept include its simple and compact structure, broadband response (400-700 nm), fast protection, high dynamic range, regionally adaptive dimming, effective glare reduction, and high transmission for dimmer objects. The major innovation of this proposal is that it combines the advantages of a high speed and high dynamic range optical limiter with the smooth adaptation characteristic of a glare reduction attenuator. This breakthrough technology has important potential applications because it can be manufactured using low-cost materials and mature fabrication techniques. In Phase I, POC will design and build key components and analyze their performance; the concept will be demonstrated by means of a laboratory prototype.