Development of a Peripheral Vision Command Indicator for Instrument Flight

Abstract

A laboratory experiment was conducted to assess the effects and interactions of seven variables germane to establishing the optimum design of a peripheral vision display. The display was a simple pattern of black lines and white squares which could move in any direction in the vertical plane faced by a subject. The variables were (1) width of the black lines, (2) black-to-white ratio, (3) display area, (4) display shape, (5) visual fixation point (6) rate of movement and (7) diagonal vs. horizontal/vertical lines. All variables were involved in significant interaction effects with one four-way interaction being significant. With the best combinations of display variables, direction of motion could be perceived with considerable accuracy when the display was located as far as 35 degrees from the subjects' line of regard.