Laser eye protection (LEP) that protect against visible lasers often impose limitations on visual compatibility with in-cockpit and out-of-cockpit color stimuli. Aircrew generally do not have accurate first-hand information about what color changes to expect, especially at first time use. Instead, experience is gained while flying with LEP. It may be possible to train aircrew prior to flight on how to accurately associate true color names with hues that are altered by LEP.
We performed a proof of concept evaluation reaching a conclusion that color name training with LEP can lead to significant improvements in performance on a color naming (CN) test. The CN test was based on the color symbology identification (CSI) test designed to simulate colors and symbology seen in the cockpit. A second study was conducted to replicate the results of the concept with a larger number of naïve observers to determine if the training effect persisted for a longer period of time and to compare results with those from a control group that received repeated administration of the CN test but no color name training.
We demonstrated that most Individuals can significantly improve their ability to identify colors altered by LEP when they are given training that pairs the true name of the color with the altered color. The study also demonstrated that the improved ability can be retained for up to 14 days after training, and that subjects can learn a second color set with a second LEP as readily as they learned a first set.