Simulating laser distractions with a high dynamic range display

How does distraction from a laser strike impact the visual performance of aircrew? While laser incidents against commercial aircraft are commonplace (7,025 were reported to the Federal Aviation Authority in 2021), only a relatively small percentage result in laser light entering the cockpit and causing laser eye dazzle. The vast majority of incidents pose a more significant ‘distraction’ risk, with the potential to severely compromise safety if experienced during critical phases of flight. Previous work by the US Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) used laser exposures in the peripheral visual field of human participants performing a discrimination task involving central and peripheral vision. The results showed a degradation in task performance in the presence of laser distractions. The current study used a similar experimental paradigm, but both the task and the distraction were presented on a High Dynamic Range (HDR) display. This paper will detail the experimental setup and data collection, together with results to quantify how bright light distractions affect visual performance. A comparison to the AFRL study will be used to assess whether a HDR display can be used as a more flexible alternative to laser exposures for such experiments. The contents include material subject to © Crown copyright (2022), Dstl. This material is licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence except where otherwise stated. To view this licence, visit http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3 or write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: [email protected].