"Natural Vision"

Natural vision is a concept in the study of visual function that refers to visual behavior in real-world settings, influenced by factors such as movement, distractions, and spatial distance, as opposed to behavior under laboratory conditions.

Many vision tests in clinics and laboratories are conducted while seated, when we feel safe and stable, and all our resources can be focused on the visual task. These conditions do not reflect our everyday visual experience.

In practice, our visual behavior is very different from the conditions in a clinic: we see things while walking or when our brain is occupied, and we focus on objects at varying depths, in the center of the visual field and in the periphery. In fact, vision is what enables us to be dynamic in our environment and move efficiently without bumping into things. Natural vision research moves beyond the comfort zone of clinical vision tests and incorporates additional factors to examine visual function under dynamic conditions.

More on natural vision in an interview with Prof. Sharon Gilaie-Dotan on the Dangoor website >>