AVRC: Clinical and Physiological Optics research group

Minimum colour vision requirements for pilots - a study of functional aspects of chromatic signals in human vision

Summary:

The aims of this study are twofold. First, we want to examine the different uses of chromatic signals in human vision in relation to visual performance and, second, we want to examine the current use of colour information in the cockpit and flying environment and to use this information to recommend minimum colour vision requirements for pilots.

It is well established that chromatic signals contribute significantly to target conspicuity when luminance contrast is low, but the contribution is insignificant when the luminance contrast is high. Although in general visual conspicuity correlates well with visual performance, it is not at all clear whether the absence of chromatic information affects visual performance in visual tasks that involve stimulus displays of high luminance contrast. It is therefore of interest to establish whether normal colour vision continues to yield significant advantages in visual tasks that involve suprathreshold stimuli defined by luminance contrast. Since dichromats have reduced chromatic sensitivity, it is equally important to establish whether this reduction causes a significant degradation of visual performance.

Collaborators in this work are Jennie Birch (City University) and Ian Moorhead (Centre for Human Sciences, Farnborough, UK).

Supported by:

John Barbur Applied Vision Research Centre | Clinical and Physiological Optics

This page was last updated on 12th March 2001.