Gaze-aware AI assistive tool for people with severe vision loss
Gaze-contingent AI-enabled Low Vision Assistive Technology (GALVAT)
A gaze-aware AI app for phones or headsets that shows only the most useful visual information where you are looking, to help people with severe vision loss use devices more easily.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Johns Hopkins University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Baltimore, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11169492 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This project is building a phone and head-mounted app that uses your gaze and remaining visual field to limit AI output to a personalized region so you aren't overwhelmed by irrelevant information. Teams at Johns Hopkins, the Chicago Lighthouse, Applied Universal Dynamics, and the Pritzker Institute will co-design the interface and non-visual controls with people who have low vision and visual prosthesis users. In the R61 phase they will create the gaze-contingent region-of-interest, integrate it with object and text recognition, and run initial usability and pilot testing. Participants will try prototypes, give feedback on ergonomics and relevance, and help refine how information is presented.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults with severe vision loss or low vision, including some users of visual prostheses, who use smartphones or head-mounted displays and are willing to test new assistive technology and provide feedback.
Not a fit: People with only mild vision loss, those who cannot reliably control their gaze, or those who do not use smartphones or head-mounted displays may not benefit from this approach.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could reduce information overload and help you locate important objects or read text more quickly, improving independence with everyday tasks.
How similar studies have performed: There are established AI apps that help people with low vision, but gaze-contingent assistive systems are relatively new and not yet widely proven.
Where this research is happening
Baltimore, United States
- Johns Hopkins University — Baltimore, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Dagnelie, Gislin — Johns Hopkins University
- Study coordinator: Dagnelie, Gislin
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.