Journal: Scientific Reports

Article Title: Improvement in reading performance through training with simulated thalamic visual prostheses

doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-31435-0

Figure Lengend Snippet: Apparatus. The apparatus consisted of two personal computers, one running the EyeLink gaze tracking software, and one running the AVR4 behavioral control software. Stimuli were displayed to the subject on an LCD monitor (Dell E2013H, 1600 × 900 pixels, 60 Hz, 51.0 cm by 28.7 cm) that was arranged to be 60 cm away from the subject’s eyes. The gaze tracker was operated in so-called remote mode that used a small bull’s-eye sticker on the subject’s forehead to allow for accurate head-free tracking. Experimental control was provided by the AVR4 custom software. Once gaze tracking calibration was successfully completed, the experiment was largely automatic, allowing the experimenter to concentrate on marking the words correctly read, missed, or skipped for each sentence on a daily score sheet.

Article Snippet: The setup consisted of an eye-tracking system (SR Research EyeLink 1000+) to provide instantaneous gaze location as subjects looked at the stimulus screen, and a behavioral control system called AVR4 (custom software on a Lenovo M700 personal computer) to provide task structure and stimulus generation.

Techniques: Software, Control

Journal: Scientific Reports

Article Title: Improvement in reading performance through training with simulated thalamic visual prostheses

doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-31435-0

Figure Lengend Snippet: Task Phases. Data collection began on a daily basis with calibrations of the EyeLink tracker and the AVR4 gaze subsystem (top row). EyeLink calibration was performed using their 13-point method which presents each point exactly once, but allows the experimenter to repeat the suite should there be a poor calibration. That initial calibration provides a highly accurate signal to the AVR4 software via a dedicated ethernet link. A subsequent calibration of the AVR4 gaze subsystem uses a 9-point method with repeated measurements at each point to provide consistent scaling and reduce any residual errors. Overall, both phases of calibration took no more than two or three minutes. Once successful calibration had been obtained, the experiment began (second row). A central fixation point was presented to the subject which the subject foveated in order to engage the trial. A brief while later, the stimulus was presented and the subject allowed an indefinite amount of time to read each sentence before indicating they had finished by looking at an exit point (Done) near the top center of the screen to proceed to the next trial of any remaining. A total of 40 sentences were presented in each session. For stimulus text presented in the clear, the reading period typically lasted only a few seconds, while for difficult conditions, the reading period could take 45 seconds. It was never the case that the subject took more than 2 minutes to read any sentence. Sessions lasted no more than 30 minutes, and, with the development of reading skill, were 15 minutes or less for later sessions with a given subject.

Article Snippet: The setup consisted of an eye-tracking system (SR Research EyeLink 1000+) to provide instantaneous gaze location as subjects looked at the stimulus screen, and a behavioral control system called AVR4 (custom software on a Lenovo M700 personal computer) to provide task structure and stimulus generation.

Techniques: Software