Engineers have developed a prototype tablet display that compensates for an individuals’ vision problems.
The system uses software to alter the light from each individual pixel on the screen, based on the person’s glasses prescription.
The researchers also added a thin plastic pin hole filter to enhance the sharpness of the image.
The team say the technology could help millions who need corrective lenses to use their digital devices.
Around one person in three in the UK suffers from short-sightedness or myopia. In the US, around 40% while in Asia it is more than half the population.
In recent years there have been a number of projects that have attempted to use computing screens to correct vision problems.
The authors of this latest study say their prototype offers “significantly higher contrast and resolution compared to previous solutions”.
Follow the light
The team from the University of California, Berkeley, working with colleagues at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), developed an algorithm that adjusts the intensity of each direction of light that emanates from a single pixel in an image, based on the user’s specific visual impairment.
Their prototype used an iPod, with a printed pinhole mask attached to the screen. To check the images, the researchers used a digital single-lens reflex (DSLR) camera which was set up to simulate a person who was farsighted.