Online games for colour deficiency data collection

Trying to investigate the role of edges in the color perception of color vision deficient people requires complex unstandardized setups, possibly leading to longer and more challenging tests. Besides the fact that only less than a tenth of the western population shows some form of colorblindness, adding inherent complexity to test setups may likely worsen the scenario and further reduce the availability of test subjects. A possible solution might come from the development of web-based tests, which on the one hand makes it easier for a subject to be enrolled in a study, on the other introduces variability in the form of different devices, environmental and viewing conditions. Not being able to directly monitor a subject also makes it impossible to evaluate its attention and motivation, which likely have a role in the accuracy of the responses given. In this study, we are investigating the usage of a specifically designed web-based game as a source for larger amounts of data related to color perception; the idea is to exploit the potential of games to become viral and collect large amounts of data with little effort while at the same time addressing variability by means of averaging the outcomes over a large set of test subjects. Developing simple and engaging games might also solve the issue of low motivation and attention, giving to the test subject a reward in the form of entertainment and progress in the game.