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Top Line: EnChroma, Inc. has released a free color blindness test for smartphones and tablets.
Close Up: The EnChroma test is based on a special kind of image called a pseudo-isochromatic plate. The plate has a random pattern of dots with varying size and brightness, to camouflage the appearance of a simple geometric shape in the image, which is a circle, a square or a diamond. Because of the camouflage, the color of the dots is the only visual cue available to see the shape.
When the test starts, the hidden shapes are very easy to see because there is a large difference between the foreground and background colors. As the test proceeds the plates get more challenging.
At the conclusion of the test, the app provides the user with a diagnosis of their color vision including the type and extent of the deficiency, if any. This information can then be used to select the appropriate EnChroma eyewear if the user is interested in a solution that will help them have better color vision.
“In the diagnosis of poor color vision, the standard testing method requires a trip to the doctor’s office. This is the first time that a computer-based test is freely available that can accurately identify the type and extent of someone’s color vision deficiency,” said Don McPherson, PhD, vice-president, products, at EnChroma. “Thanks to a sponsorship by the National Institute of Health, I was able to create this app as a part of my National Eye Institute research project. Not only is it scientifically backed, it’s free to take and is easily available at your fingertips.”
Vital Stats: Adults and children can take this test online at enchroma.com/test or by downloading the app by searching for “enchroma” in their mobile device app store.
www.enchroma.com
