LENS TIPS

Putting Glass in Play

A look at how Google Glass is being put through its paces by the students at Michigan College of Optometry

how does Google’s mysterious yet seemingly ubiquitous Glass perform outside its comfort zone? Craig Norman, director of the Vision Research Institute, Michigan College of Optometry, at Ferris State University in Big Rapids, MI, wanted to find out by expanding the reach of this wearable device.

“We’ve had Glass since last June and have been exploring a number of possible uses for it (and other wearable technology) for teaching and sports; plus, we’ve been looking at its visual impact while driving and during other tasks,” says Norman, who notes that the school sponsored a student to become a Glass Explorer.

Here, Eyecare Business checks in with both Norman and Chad Rosen, O.D., a professor at Michigan College of Optometry who has been deeply involved with the testing with Glass at the school’s Vision Research Institute, to learn more about the results from their research.

EYECARE BUSINESS: HOW HAVE YOU TESTED GLASS FOR POSSIBLE APPLICATIONS IN THE EXAM ROOM?

CRAIG NORMAN: We wanted to see how it might work during the examination process; so, one of the faculty members first tried to use it through the slit lamp, but it did not work well because Glass’ camera, which is located on the upper right, didn’t match up with [our] needs.

In the Swing of Things

Google Glass in action during a Michigan College of Optometry study at Ferris State University’s Professional Golf Management department, in which golf team members, golf management students, and optometry students wore the device to track head movements while taking some swings

EB: WERE THERE OTHER WAYS GLASS COULD BE INCORPORATED INTO THE EXAM PROCESS?

CN: We also looked at how Glass could play a role in the external part of the exam and be used as a teaching tool. So, we had our student Glass Explorer, Elyse, go through the external eye exam processes while wearing it. We were in another room watching on an iPad and were able to talk to her and see what she was doing during the entire exam. She was testing for muscle movement of the eyes.

So, we do feel that Glass could play a role in teaching and proctoring students through faculty members. You would normally have the proctor in the room with you, but when Glass becomes more affordable, we could have multiple students wearing it in different exam lanes and one proctor working with all of them.

EB: DID YOU ALSO LOOK AT HOW ELECTRONIC MEDICAL RECORDS (EMR) COULD BE ACCESSED FOR EFFICIENCY DURING THE EXAM?

CHAD ROSEN, O.D.: We believe Glass will also help increase the efficiency of the exam. Typically with EMR, the patient has to sit and stare at the doctor’s back while he or she looks at [the patient’s] records and types notes into the computer. But now with Glass, the doctor can sit and face the patient while accessing records and looking at previous information and exams.

EB: DID YOU ALSO LOOK AT APPLICATIONS FOR GLASS IN THE SPORTS ARENA?

CN: Yes. We have a hockey program here at the university, and we had some players wear [Glass] while playing. We also tested it with our golf group; we have one of the premier golf management training programs in the country here.

EB: HOW DID YOU TEST IT WITH THE GOLFERS?

CR: We connected with one of the students, a senior in the golf management program at the university. He wanted to see if there was a way to use Glass to analyze swing and swing pattern, anything that might give somebody an edge to teach [a skill set].

So, we set up a study with the golf team, golf management students, and also some folks who were not as good at golfing—optometry students. We had them all wear Glass, take some swings, and assess what their head was doing by recording their head movements.

Then, we calculated with a radar system (that’s accurate to within a few yards) where their swing was going to take the ball. The way the student visualized it was that he wanted it to be used as a teaching tool. The instructor doesn’t have to be right there with you. You could potentially call into someone, take a swing, and because you are wearing Glass, you get instant feedback.

— Erinn Morgan