Scientists from two Chinese institutions have created a smartphone-based health system that detects eye impairment in toddlers using artificial intelligence (AI). The Apollo Infant Sight (AIS) system, developed by Sun Yat-sen University and Shanghai Jiao Tong University, may diagnose 16 distinct eye problems by recording and analyzing children’s gaze behaviors and facial traits.
The AIS works by inducing a steady stare in youngsters using cartoon-like visual stimuli, then capturing movies that record their facial look and ocular movement for subsequent analysis with AI-based deep learning models. According to the study, which was published in the journal Nature Medicine, films from 3,652 children under the age of four were gathered prospectively in order to design and validate the system.
One of the primary advantages of the AIS is that it may be used on smartphones by unskilled parents or caregivers and still obtain high-quality detection. This is relevant since visual impairment is one of the leading causes of long-term disability in children globally, yet early identification is frequently overlooked due to young children’s low compliance with traditional vision examinations.
The authors of the research believe that the AIS will be extensively used to detect early vision impairment, allowing for early intervention and therapy. They also hope that the system may be modified to identify additional juvenile illnesses and disorders, therefore enhancing children’s health and well-being.
