Gamified Visual Rehabilitation for Virtual Reality
Spielerische visuelle Rehabilitation in Virtual Reality
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GazeQuest is a Virtual Reality based rehabilitation platform for patients with visual field loss, as caused by conditions such as Retinitis Pigmentosa or Glaucoma. It utilizes mini-game-like exercises with scientifically validated designs to help patients to better utilize their remaining visual field, improving visual performance. Built for at-home training, GazeQuest allows users to actively engage in their own rehabilitation process.
It also includes tools for self-monitoring the condition, and offers immersive, interactive experiences for education and awareness through eye-tracking based simulations of visual field loss.
Are you interested in following the progress of our development or want to try GazeQuest yourself? Join our mailing list to be notified about new features, events, or opportunities for a hands-on test!
The GazeQuest rehabilitation training features specialized visual task designs, helping patients to adapt larger and more dynamic eye movements, compensating for their visual field loss and improving their visual performance in everyday life. The modular GazeQuest framework allows for fast, patient-centered development and modification of training tasks based on test studies and patient feedback.
At the time, three different training tasks are in development, each targeting different aspects of visual rehabilitation: visual search, moving target tracking, and navigation and obstacle detection.
To gather patient feedback and further improve GazeQuest, we regularly offer opportunities to participate in studies. If you are diagnosed with peripheral visual field loss, live in the area of Tübingen-Reutlingen-Stuttgart and are interested in receiving invites to our studies, subscribe here or send a mail directly to GazeQuestVR@gmail.com.
GazeQuest enables at-home assessment of visual field size, both through active measurement (dynamic perimetry) as well as through background analysis of gaze behavior during training tasks. This data provides an overview of the current state of the condition and helps track changes over time. However, the monitoring tool is not clinically validated and can not replace the assessment and diagnosis of a medical professional.
Utilizing experimentally validated, eye-tracking-based simulations of visual field defects, GazeQuest provides friends and family, colleagues, clinicians, therapists, and anyone interested an opportunity to experience the perceptive challenges of limited vision.
The effectiveness of Virtual Reality based visual rehabilitation training was validated in a clinical, randomized-controlled trial using a prototype of the GazeQuest system. The study assessed the influence of the training on real-world navigation performance in Retinitis Pigmentosa patients.
The results of the study show that after four weeks of rehabilitation training, patients display significant improvements in movement speed (17%) and collision avoidance (50%) in the real-world navigation task.
In a second study, the visual performance and gaze behavior of visually healthy participants with simulated peripheral visual field loss was compared to an age-matched group of real patients in different visual exercises in Virtual Reality.
The results show that the simulated visual field loss has similar impact to real visual field loss, indicating that Virtual Reality based simulations of visual field loss can offer a realistic and accurate experience.
2025 - Accepted for exhibition at Gamescom.
2025 - Exhibition at German Dev Days.
2023 & 2025 - Invited speaker at the Bardet-Biedl Syndrome Patient Seminar in Bonn/Mainz.
2024 - Recipient of the Innovation Grant in Sciences & Life Sciences of the University of Tübingen.
2023 - Winner of the Poster Award at the Pro Retina Meeting.
2022 - Poster presentation at ARVO (Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology).
2021 - Poster presentation at ACM SIGGRAPH.
Funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Science as part of the Excellence Strategy of the German Federal and State Governments.
Participation at the THE LÄND exhibition stand at Gamescom 2025 is funded by the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Labour and Tourism Baden-Württemberg and the MFG Media and Film Society Baden-Württemberg.
Post-Doctoral Researcher – Project Lead & Developer
Student Assistant – 2D/3D Artist & Designer
Master's Student – Researcher
The GazeQuest platform offers a range of utilities, having something to offer for a broad spectrum of users.
The core aspect of GazeQuest is its Rehabilitation Training, which is designed for individuals with advanced peripheral visual field loss, such as from Retinitis Pigmentosa, Glaucoma, or Bardet-Biedl Syndrome. In experimental trials, the software was tested by users with visual field sizes between 7° and 30° diameter and a visual acuity of 0.1 or better. We are working towards making the software as accessible as possible, but we cannot guarantee smooth usability for vision below this range. Other types of visual field loss, such as age-related macula degeneration (AMD) or Hemianopia, are currently not supported by the visual rehabilitation training.
The Monitoring Tool can be useful for all types and stages of visual field loss. It provides an overview of the current visual field and helps track changes over time. However, the monitoring tool is not clinically validated and can not replace the assessment and diagnosis of a medical professional.
The Visual Field Defect Simulation is a tool for education and awareness. It is targeted towards anyone with healthy visual field who is interested in better understanding the experience and challenges of limited vision.
GazeQuest is still in development. A public test version is planned for release in 2026. In the meantime, we regularly showcase the software at different events - like Gamescom 2025 - where visitors can test it. To get notified about opportunities to try out GazeQuest yourself and directly influence the development through your feedback, subscribe to our mailing list here.
We plan to launch GazeQuest on SteamVR, a popular platform for Virtual Reality content. This allows anyone with a compatible Virtual Reality headset to download and install GazeQuest.
We are also in contact with different German institutions to explore collaboration opportunities to offer GazeQuest rehabilitation training through their courses and services.
GazeQuest is a Virtual Reality application and requires a compatible Virtual Reality headset to run. The software is currently tested on the Meta Quest series. We aim for compatibility across most headsets supported by SteamVR, such as HTC Vive, Pico 3 and 4, HP Reverb G2, and others, but we cannot guarantee full support yet.
If you know anyone who might benefit from the training or be interested in this project, let them know about it.
Also, please consider subscribing to our mailing list. It helps us collect valuable feedback, grow visibility, and demonstrate community interest to potential collaborators and funders.
Lastly, we are frequently looking for patients with peripheral visual field loss who live in the area of Tübingen, Reutlingen, and Stuttgart and are interested in participating in our scientific studies. You can subscribe here or send us a mail directly to GazeQuestVR@gmail.com to be informed about upcoming studies.
GazeQuest VR
Contact: Dr. rer. nat. Alexander Neugebauer
Research Institute of Ophthalmology, University of Tübingen
Elfriede-Aulhorn-Straße 7, 72076 Tübingen
Mail: GazeQuestVR@gmail.com
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