Evaluation of Aircrew Low-Intensity Threat Laser Eye Protection
Abstract
Prototype low-intensity threat laser eye protection (LIT-LEP) spectacles were evaluated for US Coast Guard (USCG) cockpits and night vision goggle compatibility. The impetus for interest in aviation LIT-LEP is driven in part by the fact that easily accessible 0.5–2.0 W high-power laser pointers exceed safety standards for direct on-axis viewing. A repeated-measures experimental design was used to assess LIT-LEP performance relative to a no-LEP control for the following tasks: Near- and far contrast acuity, night vision goggle far-contrast acuity, emissive and non-emissive light source color-vision screening, and USCG multifunctional display color symbol discrimination reaction time and accuracy. Near- and far-contrast acuity results demonstrated good LIT-LEP performance for typical in- and out-of-cockpit lighting conditions. Night vision goggle performance suffered marginally at only one contrast level (85%; 20/30 acuity line). Color vision test results showed good color balance in that S-, M-, and L-cone performance did not demonstrate a clinical diagnostic color defect for emissive or non-emissive light sources when wearing LIT-LEP. Color symbol discrimination reaction-time-task results based on inverse efficiency scores revealed that some non-primary flight display colors exhibited a combination of slower speed and decreased accuracy. The findings will contribute to an acquisition decision as well as guide future LEP designs.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Pub Defense Publication
- Publication Date
- Mar 01, 2019
- Source ID
- 10.1093/milmed/usy335
Entities
People
- Christina K Kunkle
- Everett J Rea
- Greg Irvin
- Jacqueline Gomez
- John L Bradley
- Mary B Mccann
- Matthew E. Funke
- Micah J. Kinney
- Michael D Reddix
Organizations
- Defense Health Agency
- Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine
- Naval Medical Research Unit Dayton
- University of Pikeville