Iris


Therapy for vision loss, reimagined


Iris is a comprehensive rehabilitation monitoring system made for people with blindness/low-vision (BLV) and their occupational therapists.

We worked closely with vision occupational therapists (OT) to develop routines that help patients re-acquire essential daily skills. The wearable Iris tracker logs patients’ sessions at home so that they can continue developing the techniques learned from their OT appointments.

By bringing OTs and patients into each stage of the design process and building on existing OT paradigms, the Iris system creates a positive reinforcement cycle for BLV therapy.




Iris cloud for therapists

The Iris cloud platform makes transitions between office visits and at-home practice seamless. The experience begins with therapists evaluating a patient’s visual acuity through questions and activities on-site. Information about living conditions, daily goals, and comfort with technology are recorded with the Iris OT app.

With this information, the therapist can begin to build suggested practice routines for the patient to carry out post–appointment. Practice routines are uploaded to the Iris cloud, where it is securely stored and available for download by the patient through their mobile device.

Iris wearable tracker


Lightweight and durable, the Iris tracker is designed for comfortable wear. It integrates advanced sensors, including a wide angle camera, a time-of-flight sensor, and a motion-sensing gyroscope. Combined, the inputs from these sensors are fed into computer vision algorithms that run completely on-device, enabling Iris to recognize people, objects, and environments. Patients can choose to wear Iris however they like thanks to inter-changeable magnetic backs. A single button controls the Iris tracker – simply press once to begin an exercise.




Spoken guidance provides instructions for patients to begin their practice routine. Because Iris tracks task completion in real time, it can also provide feedback and spoken assistance. Distinct tonal cues notify patients of progress throughout their sessions.

Iris app for patients


After completing a routine, the screen-reader compatible app provides metrics to the patient. Recordings of sessions can also be shared with the occupational therapist, who can watch and review key moments in preparation for the next appointment.

Upon returning to the OT’s office, both the therapist and the patient can discuss successes, potential areas of improvement. By seeing a first-person view of how a patient works through the activities, therapists can suggest new assistive techniques and tools.


Iris extends the BLV occupational therapy experience beyond the doctor’s office.
By empowering patients to independently practice new skills in their homes, Iris makes adapting to new visual conditions a more considered and natural experience.


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