Rune Brautaset – Professor of Optometry, Head of Department at Karolinska Institutet & Co-Founder of Imvi Labs
Our patented training is developed in collaboration with researchers at Karolinska Institutet. The convergence training improves your eye coordination while you watch your favorite shows in VR.
What is binocular vision?
We see the world with two eyes, but the brain combines the visual input from both eyes into a single image. To focus on an object, the brain coordinates the movements of the right and left eye (binocular vision). When binocular vision is impaired, the eyes work together less effectively, which can lead to double vision, headaches, and fatigue. This affects reading speed and comprehension, and demands more brain energy—reducing oxygen and blood flow to the brain and making it harder to process visual information.
Orthoptic training with a VR headset for people with convergence insufficiency
VR technology can be used to effectively train eye coordination in cases of convergence problems, offering a more engaging and modern method than traditional exercises.
VR technology improves compliance and results in binocular vision training
Using VR makes binocular vision training more engaging and easier to follow, leading to better results over time.
This article examines computer-based orthoptic vergence training for children with dyslexia
Computer-based vergence training can help children with dyslexia by improving eye coordination, reading ability, and visual processing through orthoptic methods.
This article discusses the benefits of eye coordination training for people with binocular vision problems
Despite improved vergence mechanisms in CI after treatment, the AC/A and CA/C ratios did not change, which is unexpected and leads to a new theory.
This article presents scientific evidence supporting vision training for binocular vision problems
The results clearly confirm that optometric vision therapy is an effective form of treatment. They also align with the principles of general motor learning.
Our digital test gives you a first indication of whether you can benefit from IMVI training. It only takes 2 minutes, is completely free, and you get an answer immediately.
Our analysis
Our analysis of user data shows that the training reduces binocular vision–related issues and increases reading speed by an average of 70%.
Data on binocular vision–related issues
Imvi uses the well-established Convergence Insufficiency Symptom Survey (CISS). This is a self-assessment test that provides a score on a scale from 0–60, where a higher value indicates more severe binocular vision problems. Users who have trained for at least 12 weeks report a reduction in their binocular vision–related symptoms.
Data on reading speed
Our in-app test measures reading speed in the user’s language. We measure reading speed for letters, words, and sentences, and our analysis indicates an average improvement of 70% after completing the training program.
How does vision affect reading ability?
We often think of reading as a simple skill—something we have practiced since childhood. However, it requires complex visual abilities working together for us to interpret and absorb text effectively. There are four key visual skills essential for reading:
This is the eye’s ability to change the shape of its lens to focus on objects at different distances. When reading, the eyes constantly need to adjust focus from one point to another—especially when shifting from looking at text to looking at other things in the surroundings. Proper accommodation is essential for seeing clearly while reading.
Smooth and coordinated eye movements are essential for reading text line by line. The ocular motor system controls these movements, called “saccades,” which move the eye quickly and accurately across the page. Disruptions in these movements can make it difficult to follow the text and may also cause misreading.
This is the ability to maintain visual focus on a single object with both eyes, creating one unified image. Binocular vision enables depth perception and accurate spatial judgment, which is important when reading across different surfaces or distances.
This includes the brain’s ability to interpret and understand visual information received by the eyes. Good visual processing is essential for quickly recognizing letters and words, understanding what you read, and retaining information.
Binocular vision means that the eyes can move in opposite directions to maintain focus on a single point. This ability is crucial for the brain to merge the visual input from each eye into a clear image.
Reading can become exceptionally difficult when binocular vision problems affect this ability. The eyes may struggle to align correctly, leading to symptoms such as blurred vision or fatigue. When reading, these issues can cause frustration and reluctance to read—especially in children—impacting literacy and learning ability.
Binocular vision problems affect about 10% of the population, but it is claimed that more than 25% of children suffer from binocular vision–related issues due to increased mobile device use.
Manual binocular vision training has existed since the 1950s. While these methods can be effective, they are not very practical as they require high motivation and supervision. In addition, this type of training needs to be performed daily and involves weekly visits to an eye clinic.
RetCorr’s computer-based training—consisting of a desk, 3D screen, and glasses—significantly improved the effectiveness and efficiency of binocular vision training compared to manual methods.
Imvi’s training program, Imvi Read, uses the same patent as RetCorr’s solution but replaces the computer with a mobile app and VR headset.
Research conducted at the University of Gävle, led by Professor Hans Richter, shows that the vergence system can quickly drain up to 90% of the frontal lobe’s energy. All it takes is as little as 5–10 minutes of brain stimulation of eye movements.
This means that even very small binocular vision problems can rapidly consume so much of the brain’s energy that it becomes difficult to perform other tasks. This negatively affects activities such as reading.
In his research, Professor Christer Jacobson has found that vision can affect individuals with reading and writing difficulties or dyslexia, and that vergence training can have a positive effect on reading for those with vergence problems:
Factors Behind Reading and Writing Difficulties and Dyslexia, Adapted from Christer Jacobson
Studies of Imvi’s solution have shown positive results for people with reading difficulties, dyslexia, and ADHD. Multiple studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of our method:
