An Innovative Virtual Reality System for Measuring Refractive Error

In this study, we aimed to validate a novel light field virtual reality (LFVR) system for estimating refractive errors in the human eye. Fifty participants with an average age of 22.12 ± 2.2 years (range 20–30 years) were enrolled. The present study compared spherical equivalent (SE) and focal line measurements (F1 and F2) obtained by the LFVR system with those obtained by established methods, including closed-field and open-field autorefractors, retinoscopy, and subjective refraction. The results showed substantial agreement between the LFVR system and the traditional methods, with intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) for SE ranging from 82.7% to 86.7% (p < 0.01), and for F1 and F2 from 80.7% to 86.4% (p < 0.01). Intra-repeatability for F1 and F2 demonstrated strong agreement, with ICC values of 88.8% and 97.5%, respectively. These findings suggest that the LFVR system holds potential as a primary tool for refractive error measurement in optical care, offering high agreement and repeatability compared to conventional methods.