Researchers developed an immersive virtual reality task to assess pedestrian collision detection and avoidance in individuals with cerebral visual impairment (CVI) compared to control participants. The study tracked eye gaze, locomotor, and behavioral responses as subjects walked through a simulated shopping mall populated with crowds of varying densities.
- CVI participants exhibited a slower mean preferred walking speed than controls.
- They were less likely and slower to detect colliding pedestrians and more likely to make a collision.
- CVI participants took longer for their first fixation and followed larger visual scan paths to find targets.
- They spent more time fixating on non-target pedestrians compared to target pedestrians.
- CVI participants showed greater variability in performance, including pathing deviations, and maintained a larger walking safety margin.
These results provide objective evidence of mobility and associated gaze behaviors in CVI during navigation through highly crowded environments.