Google glasses found to partially obstruct side vision

A new research has revealed that Google glasses may partially obstruct peripheral (side) vision.

According to the study from University of California, conventional spectacle frames can reduce peripheral visual field, which is a main component of vision and essential for daily activities such as driving, pedestrian safety, and sports, sometimes causing absolute blind spots, and head- mounted devices have even more pronounced frames.

To assess how the devices are worn by general consumers, photographs of people wearing the product and facing the camera, obtained from an Internet search, were analyzed, where photographs were assessed for prism position relative to the pupil.

Visual field testing demonstrated significant scotomas (blind spots) in the participants while wearing the device, creating a clinically meaningful visual field obstruction in the upper right quadrant.

Defects were induced by the Google Glass frame hardware design only and were not related to a distracting effect of software-related interference.

An analysis of 132 images indicated that many people wear the device near or overlapping their pupillary axis (a line perpendicular to the surface of the cornea, passing through the center of the pupil), which may induce scotomas and interfere with daily function.

The authors concluded that additional studies are needed to understand the effects of these devices on visual function, particularly as their use becomes increasingly common.

The study is published in the November 5 issue of JAMA.