The Virtual Refractor, an online technology that teaches how to correct vision, has been recognised with the best Digital Experience Website award at the 2013 Sydney Design Awards.
Developed by Brien Holden Vision Institute and Butterfly, a creative, digital agency based in Melbourne, the Virtual Refractor will soon be available for optometry students worldwide.
The Virtual Refractor simulates a complete distance refractive error examination using a refractor head on virtual patients, with numerous demographic profiles, who respond to test charts and questions regarding the effects of lens combinations introduced by the examiner. This refraction procedure enables practitioners to confirm the strength of lenses needed to correct a patient’s particular distance vision impairment and provide effective treatments, typically spectacles or contact lenses. By using the Virtual Refractor, optometry students can gain a strong working knowledge of how to perform a refraction prior to practical clinical sessions.
The original program which had such great success was called the Refractor Jack, which was developed in the early 1990s. Originally a desktop application developed using C++ programming, the Institute has brought this complex learning aid into the 21st century, taking the technology online.
The Institute and Butterfly worked closely together to scope the project and design a new user-friendly interface to simulate refraction with a patient. “Taking the Virtual Refractor online will mean access to refraction training for students all over the world,” said Luigi Bilotto, Director of the Brien Holden Vision Institute. “They will simply need an internet connection. This is an important development and will assist optometry educators and students in developing countries.”
Other winners of a Sydney Design Award include Commonwealth Bank, Foxtel and Transport for NSW.
