In Virtual Reality News
February 14, 2023 – Gaize, a provider of virtual reality (VR) based automated impairment testing solutions, has announced the launch of its real-time impairment screening device. According to the company, the product is a first-of-its-kind fully automated, non-invasive and portable eye movement test that combines well-established Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) eye examinations with the latest in artificial intelligence (AI).
Gaize noted that Drug Recognition Expert eye tests are widely considered the gold standard for impairment detection, with 40+ years of successful use, many scientific studies on their effectiveness, and court acceptance in all 50 U.S. states.
Gaize runs these same tests, exactly according to the DRE training manual, but instead using a VR headset with embedded eye tracking sensors. The resulting data is then analyzed by machine learning models to discover involuntary eye movement changes that are correlated with impairment. The launch of the company’s product follows a recently completed clinical trial using the Gaize platform, which the company stated was the largest in the world to ever investigate cannabis impairment.
Ken Fichtler, Gaize Founder and CEO said: “I created Gaize to solve the problem of cannabis impaired drivers and workers. THC behaves markedly differently in the body than does alcohol, and it can linger in the body for over a month since the last use. No amount of THC in the body has ever been shown to produce a predictable level of impairment, so simply measuring THC is not indicative of impairment. Particularly in places where cannabis is legal, what we really care about is whether or not someone is impaired, not if they’ve used cannabis previously.”
The results of the test can be easily interpreted and each test is backed by video evidence of involuntary eye movements. Results are delivered in just 6 minutes from the time the test is started, which enables much more frequent impairment screening and empowers users of the system to more confidently make defensible decisions, according to Gaize.
Gaize envisions a world where drivers and workers are verifiably sober before engaging in any safety-sensitive task. With Gaize’s solution, companies will be able to test their employees each day before the start of shift, after a lunch break, or before operating equipment to ensure that operators are sober and not impaired in their abilities to safely carry out their job.
Fichtler ended by saying: “We’ve had our heads down following the science and building this product for over two years. To have it come to market today feels great. It’s going to be truly revolutionary for maintaining safe roads and workplaces with fewer preventable impairment related deaths and injuries.”
Gaize’s solution is available to commercial customers starting today. To learn more about Gaize and its VR-based automated impairment screening solution, please visit the company’s website.
Image / video credit: Gaize / YouTube
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About the author
Sam is the Founder and Managing Editor of Auganix. With a background in research and report writing, he has been covering XR industry news for the past seven years.