Study Finds Google Glass May Partially Obstruct Peripheral Vision

Interest in wearable head-mounted display systems for general consumers is increasing, with multiple models in production. However, their effect on vision is largely unknown. Peripheral visual field is a main component of vision and essential for daily activities such as driving, pedestrian safety, and sports. 

Testing of study participants who wore head-mounted display systems (Google Glass) found that the head-mounted display created a partial peripheral vision obstruction, according to a study performed by Tsontcho Ianchulev, M.D., M.P.H., of the University of California, San Francisco, and colleagues which was published in the November 5 issue of JAMA.

The problem is not limited to Google Glass and head-mounted (hands-free) displays. Conventional spectacle frames can reduce visual field, sometimes causing absolute blind spots, and head­ mounted devices have even more pronounced frames, according to background information in the article.

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