3D @ COVD (1)

This report comes first hand from the recent annual meeting of the  College of Optometrists in Vision Development (COVD), held in Orlando.

COVD is the certifying body for doctors in Behavioral/ Developmental/ Rehabilitative Optometry. This group is interested in all things 3D, because these experts envision a role for 3D in Sx (symptoms), Dx (diagnosis), and Tx (treatment) of vision disorders. At the COVD Annual Meeting, I participated as a featured speaker in a full-day educational program entitled “Simulated 3D Vision: Research, Education and In Your Office,” with over 600 medical and educational professionals in attendance.

Dr. Dominick M. Maino (OD, MEd, FAAO, FCOVD) led off the full-day session. Dr. Maino is a Professor of Pediatrics/Binocular Vision at the Illinois College of Optometry/Illinois Eye Institute, a Distinguished Practitioner, with the National Academies of Practice, and a Leonardo da Vinci Award of Excellence in Medicine recipient.  Dr. Maino highlighted the cultural importance of 3D in contemporary society, since sometimes medical experts and researchers are not fully attentive to current cultural memes.  Maino warned that “simulated 3D is not dead,” as some would think, “but that use of simulated 3D will continue in all its forms… but you still need binocular vision to fully immerse yourself into the experience.”  He identified the struggles many adults have with viewing 3D as the “3D Vision Syndrome” and made the case for medical and educational professionals to tap into the power and influence of the 3D meme to promote vision health and better public policy decisions.

We will learn more about 3D @ COVD in next week's post. Stay tuned...