When he was nine years old, an optometrist told Yohann Abraham-Erhart that he was colorblind. He was then told that he could never become a pilot. Five years later, this 2nd grade studente secondary school imagined a system that could change everything. He also won first prize at the Super Expo-sciences Hydro-Québec last Sunday. What is this special project? Will Yohann one day be able to pilot a plane? We talk about it with him right here!
Yohann, can you explain to me what color blindness is?
People with color blindness have difficulty distinguishing certain colors. We see colors because of particular elements in our eyes, and when someone is color blind, it is because they are missing these elements or because they do not work well. I have difficulty distinguishing colors that contain red.
What difficulties can a person with color blindness encounter?
At school, especially in kindergarten, children who are not aware of their color blindness may have difficulty learning certain concepts, since educational games are often based on colors. Some people who are colorblind also have difficulty distinguishing traffic lights.
What impact does this have in your everyday life?
Personally, I often encounter problems at school, especially when someone writes on the board in colors that I have difficulty distinguishing. When this happens, I have to ask for the colors to be changed, otherwise I’m not able to read what’s written.
Can you explain your project to me?
My project aims to detect color blindness using brain signals. To do this, I use so-called electrodes, which I place on my head in specific locations. Electrodes are used to record these signals. Then I look at different pairs of colors, some I can see well and some I can’t. My brain only emits signals if I see colors that I can distinguish. Thanks to my project, I am able to precisely identify which colors are problematic and which colors can be replaced with. For a colorblind airplane pilot, one could create a mode on the display screen that would change the colors. And who knows, maybe in 10 years I could pilot a plane!
Are you considering pursuing a career in science?
Absolutely. I want to study in the field of neuroscience and focus on projects that will have a significant impact.
Marilys Beaudoin, Les Aces de l’info
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