Ubisoft is working on a tablet game that will help fight Amblyopia. The side-scrolling Dig Rush, which you play while wearing stereoscopic glasses (the red/blue-lensed specs previously of 3D fame).
Dig Rush, being developed by Montreuil, France-based Ubisoft, McGill University and medical researcher Amblyotech Inc., is aimed at improving treatments for amblyopia, or “lazy eye,” according to a statement Tuesday. The effort illustrates the potential for using video-game technology to develop novel approaches to medical care.
Players are forced to exercise their weaker eye as some graphics are shown in blue and some in red, at varying levels of contrast. Around 90% of patients who have been tested using the game saw an improvement to their eyesight within weeks of starting to play the game.
Amblyopia afflicts an estimated three percent of children worldwide and if left untreated is a leading cause of blindness in adults.
Traditional treatments, including patching of the sighted eye, often fail because of social stigmas and long treatment times leading to poor compliance and a high relapse.
It’s not as easy as download and go, though, as doctors will need to fine-tune the game’s settings as your eyesight improves. Consequently, it’s only available via prescription.
“The team from Ubisoft Montreal has been able to create a more engaging and enjoyable experience for patients,” said Ubisoft senior producer Mathieu Ferland in a statement.
