Flash/Crazing Effects on Simulator Pursuit Tracking Performance
Abstract
Day sights which are purposefully or inadvertently irradiated with laser radiation may become nonfunctional due to cracking or crazing of the optical glass. The degree of performance degradation may be related to the amount of damage to the glass and possible flash blindness from reradiation. Thirty-two male enlisted men and officers tracked a scale model tank through a constant arc at a simulated distance of 1 km, using a laboratory constructed viscous-damped tracking device. There were four crazing groups (4 men/group) under bright and dim ambient light conditions for a total of eight groups. Each man tracked the target during three flash/crazing and three crazing only trials, which were randomly presented during 30 trials. The simulated countermeasure which included the flash and crazing had dramatic effects on tracking performance, even under daylight conditions. Under the most severe degree of crazing, tracking performance was not possible under either ambient light condition. The relatively small amounts of laser radiation used to craze the BK- 7 glass used in this study, which lead to significant performance decrements, demonstrates the potential impact of flash/crazing effects on operators of day sights. Keywords: Pursuit tracking, Crazed optics.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 01, 1986
- Accession Number
- ADA167689
Entities
People
- David A. Stamper
- David J. Lund
- Jerome W. Molchany
- Paul Best
- Richard R. Levine
Organizations
- Letterman Army Hospital