Virtual vision loss simulator.

Vision loss is common among people over the age of 65 and the condition is irreversible in most cases. Our simulator is a means to effectively and accurately inform people about the nature of common vision problems, initially limited to medically accurate simulations of cataract and macular degeneration. Using an eye tracker that continuously determines the subject's fixation point, a systematically degraded digital image displayed on an HMD can be a powerful educational tool. This article presents our Virtual Vision Loss (VVL) simulator and the developed simulation techniques based on calibration from 27 subjects.