--- title: "Seeing without looking" description: "Sports scientist Christian Vater at the University of Bern studies peripheral perception with eye tracking and VR – for football and for road safety." url: https://unibefoundation.ch/en/blog/seeing-without-looking-research-relevance-peripheral-perception updated: 2026-09-16 --- # Seeing without looking > Sports scientist Christian Vater at the University of Bern studies peripheral perception with eye tracking and VR – for football and for road safety. Blog 18. May 2024 # Seeing without looking: new research examines the relevance of peripheral perception The Wankdorf Stadium is going wild! Young Boys defender Elia has played a through ball from his own half to Ganvoula, who controls it with uncanny assurance, spots Itten charging forward in the centre out of the corner of his eye, and crosses. Itten skilfully takes the ball in his stride, sees the defenders rushing towards him at the same time, gauges goalkeeper Zigi’s position and then slots the ball cleanly into the far corner. BSC Young Boys win the match against FC St. Gallen with a clear 3–1. For the Bernese side, the match was once again a demonstration of their footballing skills. For sports scientist Christian Vater, it was a masterful demonstration of the importance of peripheral perception. This fascinating ability of footballers to process information from the corner of their eye and react to it quickly is at the heart of his research at the University of Bern. ## **From the pitch to the road: the relevance of peripheral perception in accident prevention** [\#](#from-the-pitch-to-the-road-the-relevance-of-peripheral-perception-in-accident-prevention "Direct link to From the pitch to the road: the relevance of peripheral perception in accident prevention") What enables professional footballers like those at YB to pick up important information from the corner of their eye in a chaotic match and play precise passes? Research into peripheral perception addresses this question and has far-reaching implications not only for sport but also for the prevention of road accidents. At present, however, there is a lack of standardised tests and training methods that specifically examine and improve peripheral perception in sporting and everyday contexts. > *The results of our research on peripheral perception have the potential not only to increase athletes’ sporting success but also to make our roads safer.* > > Christian Vater ## **Attention everywhere: the role of peripheral perception in our everyday lives** [\#](#attention-everywhere-the-role-of-peripheral-perception-in-our-everyday-lives "Direct link to Attention everywhere: the role of peripheral perception in our everyday lives") Peripheral perception is the ability to recognise movements and objects at the edge of our field of vision without looking directly at them. Historically, this ability has always played a crucial role. In the early days of human history, it was essential for hunter-gatherers, who had to keep an eye on predators and prey without losing their focus. Peripheral perception has been systematically researched for about 40 years, above all in the context of road safety and sport. ## **Technological innovations: eye tracking and VR in the service of science** [\#](#technological-innovations-eye-tracking-and-vr-in-the-service-of-science "Direct link to Technological innovations: eye tracking and VR in the service of science") Christian Vater is a sports scientist and assistant professor at the Institute of Sport Science at the University of Bern. He investigates (peripheral) perception strategies using innovative approaches and technologies such as eye tracking and virtual reality (VR). He explains: “Our research deals with peripheral perception, that is, the ability to process information without looking at it directly.” His research at the University of Bern is currently investigating, in three phases, the influencing factors and ways of improving peripheral perception: 1. **Laboratory phase**: Use of eye-tracking technologies and markers on test subjects to track and analyse gaze and head movements. Eye-tracking technology enables the Bern research team to observe precisely how gaze movements change and which peripheral stimuli are perceived. Markers help to document the body’s movement sequences in detail. 2. **Training design**: In collaboration with BSC Young Boys, specific training interventions are being developed with the aim of sharpening peripheral perception. Training programmes are being developed both for real and for virtual (VR) environments. The VR set-ups make it possible to create controlled and repeatable scenarios in which test subjects can improve their peripheral perception. 3. **Application and validation**: In cooperation with the Swiss Council for Accident Prevention (BFU), real accident hotspots in Bern are being investigated. The aim is to analyse the role peripheral perception plays in hazard detection. The goal is to develop optimised perception strategies and also to propose measures for infrastructure in order to reduce the frequency of accidents at critical points. ## **The future of research: how peripheral perception makes us safer** [\#](#the-future-of-research-how-peripheral-perception-makes-us-safer "Direct link to The future of research: how peripheral perception makes us safer") Christian Vater’s research shows how important peripheral perception is for quick and correct decisions – whether on the pitch or on the road. In future, the research is to be expanded further in order to develop even more specific and effective training methods and to transfer the results to other sports and everyday contexts. In this way, scientific findings can not only help win championship titles in sport but also have a positive impact on road safety. ## **Further links** [\#](#further-links "Direct link to Further links") YouTube video link: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nmpv-GpWk6I&t=102s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nmpv-GpWk6I&t=102s) ## **Key terms – briefly explained:** [\#](#key-terms-briefly-explained "Direct link to Key terms – briefly explained:") - **Peripheral perception** is the ability to recognise things that are outside the central field of vision. It allows us to perceive movements and objects at the edge of our field of vision without looking directly at them. This is important for quick reactions and decisions in situations such as sport or road traffic, where it is essential to keep an eye on the entire surroundings. **Virtual reality (VR)** is a computer-generated simulation of a three-dimensional environment that is experienced with special electronic devices and makes it possible to immerse oneself in a virtual world. - **Eye tracking** is a technology that tracks the movements and positions of the eyes in order to analyse where a person is looking and how long they fixate on certain points. - **Cognitive psychology:** A field of psychology that deals with mental processes such as perception, memory, thinking and problem-solving. ## **Disclosure** [\#](#disclosure "Direct link to Disclosure") This article was written and edited by humans. AI tools were used selectively for research, structuring, copy-editing and improving comprehensibility. 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