Text & Images: Henrik Pallin
We at Imvi Labs are proud that our VR training has been featured in the magazine Vi Lärare! 📰
The article “Can VR-based eye training improve reading ability?” is based on a seminar in the Riksdag on children's reading ability – an area that currently engages researchers, politicians, and educators alike.
The Riksdag highlights the role of binocular vision in reading development
The seminar was initiated by Fredrik Malm (L), Chairman of the Education Committee, and Niels Paarup Petersen (C). The purpose was to highlight an often overlooked but crucial area: binocular vision – the eyes' ability to cooperate and create a clear, unified image.
Binocular vision is central to both reading and concentration. When the eyes do not work in sync, the child may experience the text "moving" on the page, losing lines, or quickly becoming tired when reading. Although these problems are common, they are rarely detected in school.
“This is a hidden public health problem,” Fredrik Malm emphasized during the seminar, highlighting how inadequate binocular vision can contribute to the so-called reading crisis affecting many children in Sweden.
Imvi Labs VR technology shows the way
During the seminar, our CEO Peter Carlsson presented Imvi Labs' VR-based method – a technology developed to train eye cooperation in a fun and motivating way. Through VR, students can strengthen their binocular vision and thereby improve their reading speed, attention, and concentration skills.
“VR training provides lasting improvements and helps students strengthen their binocular vision, which is directly linked to reading ability,” explained Peter Carlsson.
The method has been developed in collaboration with optometrists and is supported by research from, among others, Karolinska Institutet, where Professor Rune Brautaset emphasizes the importance of visual attention in the reading process.
Support from research and school activities
The seminar also showcased examples from schools where Imvi Labs' method is used. Special educators Moa Ahrnbom and Johanna Lindgren-Chin reported how their students had improved reading ability, increased self-confidence, and better focus after just twelve weeks of training.
At the same time, optometrist Therese Westerlund highlighted how children's increased screen time negatively affects eye health – and how VR training can be a way to restore the eyes' natural cooperation.
“Children's eyes are currently used in a way that is far from natural – close, static gazes that strain binocular vision. VR training can help them regain the ability to focus and maintain their gaze.”
A significant milestone for Imvi Labs
For us at Imvi Labs, it is an honor to contribute to a discussion in the Riksdag about children's reading ability and future. Our goal is clear: to give every child the best conditions to succeed in school by strengthening the foundation of their visual ability.
👉 Read the full article in Vi Lärare:
Can VR-based eye training improve reading ability?
