Altitude Cuing Effectiveness of Terrain Texture Characteristics in Simulated Low-Altitude Flight.
Abstract
Two experiments were conducted to determine the altitude cuing effectiveness of various terrain texture characteristics in simulated low-altitude flight. In Experiment 1, we compared the effects of five different texture conditions, two types of subjects (pilots versus nonpilots), and direction of altitude change (ascent versus descent) on altitude change discriminability. Results indicated that performance varied significantly as a function of texture, pilots were more sensititive than nonpilots to changes in altitude, and simulated descents were easier to discriminate than ascents. Experiment 2 involved an investigation of the effects of four of the five texture conditions previously used, direction of altitude change, and two levels of texture contrast that simulated normal daytime and dawn/dusk lighting on the detection of change in altitude. We again observed that descents were more discriminable than ascents, but unlike the first experiment, performance did not vary as a function of texture. Further, simulated dawn/dusk terrain lighting did not adversely affect performance.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 01, 1995
- Accession Number
- ADA294369
Entities
People
- David C. Hubbard
- Gary L. Serfoss
- Harold D. Warner
Organizations
- University of Dayton