A tunable digital ishihara plate for pre-school aged children

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Pediatric Vision
• Human-Computer Interaction

Background:

• Color perception is vital for children's development and education.
• Early diagnosis of color vision deficiencies, such as red-green color blindness (protanopia or deuteranopia), is essential for timely support.
• The traditional Ishihara test uses static plates with numbers or letters, which may not be engaging for young children.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an engaging and accessible digital tool for screening color vision deficiencies in preschool-aged children.
• To adapt the Ishihara test methodology into an interactive web application suitable for early childhood diagnosis.
• To create a more child-friendly alternative to traditional color blindness tests.

Main Methods:

• Development of a web application using JavaScript to create dynamic Ishihara-like plates.
• Implementation of functionality to transform binary images of child-friendly shapes (e.g., animals) into test plates.
• Inclusion of adjustable parameters for dot density, size, color, brightness, and saturation for enhanced plate customization and calibration.

Main Results:

• A functional web application was created, capable of generating interactive Ishihara-like color vision tests.
• The application allows for the use of child-friendly shapes instead of traditional numbers or letters.
• Dynamic adjustment of plate elements (dots, colors, brightness, saturation) enhances test adaptability and visual quality.

Conclusions:

• The developed web application offers a novel, engaging method for the early detection of red-green color vision deficiencies in young children.
• This digital tool can improve diagnostic accessibility and engagement for preschool-aged children.
• The customizable nature of the application allows for tailored testing and potentially improved accuracy in identifying visual perception alterations.