Results of a pilot study: Target identification using computer visual simulation of laser-induced contrast sensitivity deficits

Abstract : In a pilot study we developed a set of computerized military-relevant images and used a subset of these in a target recognition performance study. Images were created by digitizing video images of four model tanks placed in a simulated terrain environment. Images varied by country of tank, orientation of the tank, and viewing distance. Each image was passed through an empirically derived filter to simulate changes in contrast sensitivity following acute laser exposure. A subset of the original images and their corresponding filtered images were used in a human performance study. Six subjects were initially trained to recognize only the unfiltered images. Image-processing software and hardware were used to present and modify the contrast of images according to a standardized rate and sequence. During the study, images were presented in pairs and subjects were forced to choose the first image that became recognizable.