Preliminary evaluation of the VIsion PERformance (VIPER) simulator.

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Military Medicine
• Human Factors Engineering

Background:

• Assessing functional visual performance is critical for warfighter effectiveness in diverse operational environments.
• The VIsion PERformance (VIPER) simulator was developed to evaluate visual capabilities in simulated combat and civilian scenarios.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the VIsion PERformance (VIPER) simulator's efficacy in assessing functional visual performance.
• To determine the simulator's ability to detect changes in visual performance with and without corrective lenses.

Main Methods:

• Thirty service members (25-35 years) with 20/20 or better visual acuity were randomized.
• Participants located and identified road signs and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) under daytime or infrared conditions, with (cc) and without (sc) habitual correction.
• Visual assessments included uncorrected (UDVA) and corrected (CDVA) distance visual acuity, refraction, contrast sensitivity, and wavefront aberrometry.

Main Results:

• VIPER demonstrated significant differences in detection and identification distances for both road signs and IEDs when comparing corrected versus uncorrected vision (P < 0.001).
• Mean accuracies for detecting and identifying targets were substantially higher with correction (e.g., 83.5% for signs, 46.7% for IEDs) compared to without correction (27.9% for signs, 11.4% for IEDs).
• Regression analysis confirmed that changes in distance significantly impacted accuracy, with correction enhancing this relationship.

Conclusions:

• The VIsion PERformance (VIPER) simulator shows promise in evaluating functional visual performance for tasks relevant to military operations.
• VIPER is capable of detecting performance decrements associated with uncorrected refractive error.
• The simulator provides a valuable tool for assessing visual capabilities in warfighters.