For everyone who gets a headache watching a 3D movie, it’s worth remembering that you’re far from alone. In fact, according to the American Optometric Association, it’s likely that your headaches mean that you’re one of somewhere between 3 million and 9 million people who have trouble with their binocular vision, meaning that you compensate by relying on one eye over the other…which makes 3D viewing troublesome. Thankfully, help may be on the way.
Today sees the opening of the new 3D Vision Performance Eye Clinic by Beaverton, Oregon’s Pacific University College of Optometry that will serve as a research facility into this issue, as well as a walk-in clinic for those with eye coordination problems. The clinic is being supported by the 3D@Home Consortium, an organization dedicated to “accelerating the adoption of quality 3D into homes worldwide,” and by THX, which is providing $40,000 worth of equipment to help research.
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THX SVP, and chairman of the 3D@Home Consortium, Rick Dean explained his support for the clinic:
During the initial rollout of 3D, there has been a lot of misleading statements around the safety and health issues around 3D have been made, most of which has had no clinical proof to the negative claims. [This clinic is] providing clinical research by establishing a facility to provide eye care with a focus on stereo vision issues which has not been diagnosed in the past. Results will contribute to all aspects of 3D entertainment, but also to the use of 3D in education, and a variety of commercial applications.
The clinic is also being supported by the AOA, and will offer binocular and stereopsis vision testing for children and adults as part of its research efforts.
MORE: Sony’s New 3D Head-Mounted Display Probably Hipper than Viewmaster
Graeme McMillan is a reporter at TIME. Find him on Twitter at @Graemem or on Facebook at Facebook/Graeme.McMillan. You can also continue the discussion on TIME’s Facebook page and on Twitter at @TIME.