Quantification of color vision using a tablet display

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Human Factors Engineering
• Vision Science

Background:

• Accurate color vision is critical for aviation and space operations, where nonredundant color coding conveys vital information.
• Existing color vision tests often fail to diagnose the specific type or severity of color vision deficiency (CVD), hindering performance assessments.
• The computer-based Cone Contrast Test (CCT) quantifies CVD type and severity, but a more portable version is needed for diverse operational environments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the feasibility and accuracy of conducting the Cone Contrast Test (CCT) on a tablet display.
• To determine if a tablet-based CCT can reliably diagnose color vision deficiency (CVD) in various settings.

Main Methods:

• The Cone Contrast Test (CCT) was administered to 16 color vision normals (CVN) and 16 individuals with CVD using both a standard netbook and a calibrated Windows 8 tablet.
• The CCT assesses red (R), green (G), and blue (B) cone sensitivity by determining the lowest visible cone contrast.
• Touch-screen input was utilized on the tablet for response collection.

Main Results:

• The tablet-based CCT demonstrated 100% specificity in confirming color vision normals (CVN) and 100% sensitivity in detecting color vision deficiency (CVD).
• No significant differences in scores were observed between the netbook and tablet displays for CVNs.
• Individuals with green (G) cone CVD showed slightly lower G cone CCT scores on the tablet display.

Conclusions:

• A tablet display is a viable platform for diagnosing color vision deficiency (CVD) with accuracy comparable to a netbook.
• The portability, ease of use, and full computing capabilities of tablets make them suitable for diverse applications.
• This technology can be applied in aviation, space exploration, military deployments, accident/rescue scenarios, and sports vision assessments.