By Selma Kasap and Ahmet Sertan Usul
ANKARA (AA) – Scholars at a university in Turkey’s capital have developed an online game to help sight-impaired people improve their vision.
Computer experts developed the game, called “Gozcu ” or Spotter, to allow visually impaired people to make eye movements to improve their sight, Kursat Cagiltay, a computer professor at Middle East Technical University (METU/ODTU), told Anadolu Agency on Wednesday.
“The user is able to make eye exercises with different games in categories such as focusing, jumping, following, and central and peripheral vision, ” Cagiltay said.
In the games, the user can burst balloons or move a ball towards a goal by focusing with their eyes.
“So this enables users to look at a spot and focus for quite a while, and it’s clear if they’re looking there on purpose or not, ” he explained.
The 24/7 availability of the online platform encourages users to do the exercises whenever they want.
“The system doesn't need a tutor for exercises, as they can be done at home, ” Cagiltay said.
If a user's vision gets better, the games adjust to get harder, plus the system can report back to the doctor how well the user does, he added.
Cagiltay said they founded a company called Eyesoft at METU’s Teknokent, the university's technology development zone, dedicated to helping the sight impaired, and the system is now in trials and should be available in mid-2018.
