Cerebral Visual Impairment Simulations
Welcome to CVI-SIM
CVI-SIM creates computer-based simulations that explore how the world may be experienced by people with brain-based visual impairment, known as cerebral visual impairment or CVI.
CVI-SIM is a collaboration between the Schools of Medicine and Computer Science, working in partnership with the charity CVI Scotland. The project has been shaped through close listening to people with CVI and consultation with clinicians, researchers, and educators with expertise in the condition. We support a wide range of student projects including across medicine, computer science, digital health and the arts.
CVI is a complex and highly variable condition. Our simulations are designed to support understanding of visual perception difficulties that affect many children and adults with CVI, particularly in visually demanding environments. Improving understanding is central to better support in education, healthcare, and everyday life.
Alongside this, CVI-SIM provides a platform for research. By combining simulation with lived experience and empirical study, we are continuing to learn more about how CVI affects visual processing and how this knowledge can be communicated more effectively.
The project has developed in phases, as outlined above: Phase 1 from 2018, Phase 2 from 2020, Phase 3 from 2023, and we are excited to be starting Phase 4 in 2026 to take our simulations to the next level.
We are pleased to share our ongoing work. For updates, please see our social media.
Team CVI-SIM.
Project phases:
Phase 1: Dorsal Stream Dysfunction CVI Experience
2018
Our challenge, could we create a simulation of the experience of dorsal stream dysfunction? Read about our incredibly journey, learning new things about this extraordinary visual process, and watch the short Dorsal Stream Dysfunction Simulation video we created (below), now an international teaching resource.
Phase 2: CVI-SIM
2020
Students created a programme to ‘behave’ like different parts of the visual brain and interact with a virtual reality school. Multiple controls in the programme mean the CVI experience can be tailored to an individual. We continued to learn more and created many videos showing our progress and to explain CVI.
Phase 3: CVI-SIM Extended
2023
Students created a museum and changed the interfaces and progtamme controls ot make it more user friendly,
During Phase 3, CVI-SIM was extended through supervised student and research activity. This included development of a virtual reality museum and small village environment to demonstrate CVI in unfamiliar and complex settings, improvements to programme usability, and the introduction of a simulation modelling impaired motion processing. Alongside this, Phase 3 supported interdisciplinary work through a medical student Laidlaw project and a supervised postdoctoral fellowship focused on public engagement and informal learning.
Our first video introducing a new simulation, created following talks with people who have CVI and are affected by visual perception difficulties.
Our first CVI-SIM progress video, introducing you to the classrooms we were creating, the programme and a bit about what we were learning.
One major study found a form of CVI in 3.4% of children in a mainstream school. This video is our attempt to both explain and show through virtual reality simulation the type of CVI the majority have. The term ‘mild visual perception difficulties due to CVI’ is sometimes used. It may be that the visual impairment is measurably mild, but what we show here is that the difficulties it causes are far from mild.