Aarnav Nagariya supervised by Dr. Kavita Vemuri received his Master of Science – Dual Degree  in Electronics and Communication Engineering (ECD). Here’s a summary of his research work on Diagnosing Binocular Vision Anomalies using Virtual Reality System: 

Binocular Vision Anomalies (BVA) represent a significant public health concern, particularly affecting children and impacting their quality of life, educational performance, and daily functioning. Traditional diagnostic methods for BVA, while clinically effective, present considerable barriers to widespread implementation due to their high costs, requirement for specialized training, and limited accessibility, especially in resource-constrained settings such as rural areas in developing countries. This thesis presents the development, validation, and clinical implementation of VR-Phore, a novel Virtual Reality-based diagnostic system designed to assess binocular vision anomalies using the established haploscopic principle. VR-Phore represents a paradigm shift from conventional diagnostic tools like the synoptophore, offering a cost-effective, portable, and user-friendly alternative that maintains clinical accuracy while enhancing accessibility. The research encompasses a comprehensive investigation into the fundamentals of binocular vision anomalies and critically evaluates existing measurement methodologies, identifying key limitations in current diagnostic approaches. The thesis details the systematic design and development of multiple VR Head-Mounted Display (HMD) systems, including implementations for Oculus devices and mobile phone-based platforms, each optimized for specific clinical environments and resource availability. Extensive experimental validation was conducted through carefully designed studies, beginning with pilot investigations and progressing to comprehensive assessments involving children with normal binocular vision and those presenting with various binocular anomalies. The clinical validation phase involved direct comparison between VR-Phore measurements and gold-standard synoptophore assessments, demonstrating the system’s diagnostic accuracy and reliability. The research demonstrates that VR-Phore not only matches the diagnostic accuracy of traditional methods but also provides enhanced precision through finer angular control (0.1 degrees) and improved patient comfort through natural head movement accommodation. The findings of this research establish VR-Phore as a clinically validated, accessible diagnostic tool that addresses the critical gap in binocular vision assessment, particularly for underserved populations. The system’s adaptability for telemedicine applications and scalable deployment across diverse healthcare settings positions it as a transformative solution for early detection and management of binocular vision anomalies. This work contributes significantly to the field of vision science by demonstrating how emerging technologies can be leveraged to democratize access to specialized healthcare diagnostics while maintaining clinical rigor and accuracy. 

May 2026