Research

Research

Vision is a key function to sense the world and perform complex tasks. It has high sensitivity and strong reliability, given that most of its input is noisy, changing, and ambiguous. Better understanding biological vision will have a strong scientific, medical, societal, and technological impact in the near future. Especially considering populations’s aging in developed countries, where the number of people with impaired vision is increasing dramatically.

In this context, Biovision aims to develop fundamental research as well as technology transfer along three axes of research and to form a strong synergy, involving a large network of national and international collaborators with neuroscientists, physicians, and modelers.

Axis 1 – Understanding the normal visual system at neuronal and perceptual levels

A holistic point of view is emerging in neuroscience, where one can observe simultaneously how vision works at different levels of the hierarchy in the visual system. Multiple scales functional analysis and connectomics are also exploding in brain science, and studies of visual systems are upfront on this fast move. These integrated studies call for new theoretical and integrated models where the goal is to model visual functions such as motion integration. In Biovision, we contribute to a better understanding of the visual system with those main goals:

  • Better understanding the early visual system
  • Reading, moving, behaving in 3D virtual environments
  • Analysis of visual media and user perception

Axis 2 – Understanding the impact of low vision at neuronal and perceptual levels

Following the same spirit as in Axis 1, we wish to study pathology’s impact at multiple scales. Similarly, we want to develop new theoretical and integrated models of vision, from the microscopic level to perception. Notably, in Biovision, we have a particular interest in understanding how Central visual Field Loss impacts attentional and oculomotor behaviors. In this axis we aim at:
  • Modeling of retinal prostheses stimulation and cortical responses
  • Understanding eccentric vision pointing for selection and identification
  • Understanding how low vision impacts attentional and oculomotor behaviors during reading
  • Attentional and behavioral studies using virtual reality

Axis 3 – Diagnosis, rehabilitation, and low vision aids

In 2015, 405 million people were visually impaired around the globe, against ‘only‘ 285 million in 2010. Because of aging and its strong correlation with eye disease prevalence, this number is only expected to grow. To address this global health problem, actions must be taken to design efficient solutions for diagnosis, personalized rehabilitation methods, and vision-aid systems handling real-life situations. In Biovision, we envision synergistic solutions where, e.g., the same principles used in our rehabilitation protocols could be useful in a vision-aid system.
  • Exploring new solutions for diagnosis
  • Designing rehabilitation methods in virtual reality (VR)
  • Developing innovative vision-aid digital systems

For more details, please read our 2020 annual activity report.

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