Chinese scientists from Sun Yat-sen University and Shanghai Jiao Tong University used artificial intelligence (AI) technology to detect visual impairment among kids via smartphones.

Visual impairment is one of the most important causes of long-term disability in children worldwide. Still, its early detection is frequently missed since kids are capable of only limited cooperation with standard vision tests.

The study published in the journal Nature Medicine on Thursday described a smartphone-based health system, the Apollo Infant Sight (AIS).

The AI-driven system is shown to identify visually impaired children with 16 eye disorders by recording and analyzing their gazing behaviors and facial features.

The AIS is designed to induce a steady gaze in children by using cartoon-like video stimuli and collecting videos that capture the facial appearance and ocular movement for further analysis using AI-based deep learning models, according to the study.

Videos from 3,652 children under four years old have been prospectively collected to develop and validate this system.

The study shows that untrained parents or caregivers who use the system on their smartphones are able to achieve high-quality detection.