NSERC/Essilor Industrial Research Chair in Visual Function

人口老龄化清楚地表明，北美人口的平均年龄正在迅速增加，并伴随着感官-知觉-认知改变和年龄相关的光学变化（如老花眼）的增加。除了上述的感觉-知觉-认知和视觉变化之外，还有作为衰老的函数发生的躯体感觉-本体感受和前庭变化，并且已经证明，这种变化影响姿势并增加对姿势控制的视觉的依赖。作为最初的五年NSERC-Essilor研究椅计划的延续，新计划将使用虚拟现实和心理物理学方法来阐明衰老对以下方面的影响：1.视觉扰动，类似于在环境中行走时所感知的或由姿势控制的眼部扭曲引起的视觉扰动; 2.与虚拟环境中凝视的个体头眼策略相关的问题; 3.动态眼镜透镜畸变和这种畸变对行为的影响; 4.对感觉阈值和更高的感知-认知功能的多感觉处理; 5.感知-认知学习及其向社会相关任务（如驾驶）的转移。过去与依视路的研究合作产生了创新的策略，并阐明了由应用需求驱动的有趣的科学问题。依视路根据研究结果，成功地实施了与特定和可衡量的人类行为相关的设计。研究主席的工作已经产生了专利和设备原型，并将以许可证的形式提供给依视路和其他潜在的公司。

The aging demographics clearly indicate that the mean age of the North American population is increasing rapidly and is accompanied by an increase of sensory-perceptual-cognitive alterations and age-related optical changes such as presbyopia. In addition to the sensory-perceptual-cognitive and the optical changes mentioned above, there are somatosensory-proprioceptive and vestibular changes that occur as a function of aging and it has been demonstrated that such changes affect posture and increase the dependence on vision for posture control. In continuation of the initial five-year NSERC-Essilor research Chair program, the new program will use virtual reality and psychophysical methodology to elucidate the impact of aging on: 1.visual perturbations similar to those perceived when walking in the environment or caused by ophthalmic distortions on posture control; 2.issues related to individual head-eye strategies for gazing in virtual environments; 3.dynamic ophthalmic lens distortions and the impact of such distortions on behavior; 4.multisensory processing on sensory thresholds and on higher perceptual-cognitive functions; 5.perceptual-cognitive learning and its transfer to socially relevant tasks such as driving. Past research collaborations with Essilor have produced innovative strategies and elucidated interesting scientific questions driven by applied needs. Essilor, based on research findings, has successfully implemented designs related to specific and measurable human behaviors. Work from the research Chair has lead to patents and device prototypes and will be available in the form of licenses for Essilor and potentially other companies.