Using smart beacons and video visits to help people with low vision use magnifiers better
Official title: Beacon Sensors and Telerehabilitation to Assess and Improve use of Devices (BeST-AID) for Low Vision
Funded at University of California Los Angeles · NIH-11159546 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project uses small Bluetooth sensors on magnifiers plus remote video coaching to help people with low vision learn and keep using their devices at home.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California Los Angeles NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Los Angeles, United States) |
| Project start | September 30, 2023 |
| Project end | June 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $359,984 |
| NIH project number | 5R01EY034627-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11159546 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are adults with low vision who currently use or are prescribed handheld magnifiers and who can use a smartphone or tablet for remote visits.
✕Less likely to help
People who do not use handheld magnifiers, lack internet or a compatible device for telehealth, or have severe cognitive or physical impairments that prevent device use are unlikely to benefit.
What this research studies
If you take part, small Bluetooth beacon sensors are attached to your handheld magnifier to track when and how you use it. Clinicians will monitor that usage data over time and offer remote telerehabilitation video sessions when device use drops or problems appear. The project will compare outcomes from remote follow-up to usual in-office low vision rehabilitation to see if remote care can match in-person results. The team aims to reduce travel barriers and provide timely help so magnifiers remain useful for daily reading and tasks.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could help people with low vision keep using magnifiers more effectively, get faster help without traveling, and improve daily reading and independence.
How similar studies have gone: Prior small studies show telerehabilitation for low vision is feasible and can produce reading outcomes similar to in-person care, while using Bluetooth beacon sensors to monitor magnifier use is a newer method.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California Los Angeles
Los Angeles, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Bittner, Ava K — University of California Los Angeles
- Study coordinator: Bittner, Ava K
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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.