Product Code: ILSC2011_403

Determining Laser Eye Protection (LEP) Acceptability for Color Appearance by Comparing Two Prediction Metrics: E-94 Score and Color Zone Analysis (CZA)
Authors:
Semih Kumru, Air Force Research Laboratory; Brooks City Base TX USA
Leedjia Svec, Naval Medical Research Unit; Brooks City-Base TX USA
Martin Lafrance, Air Force Research Laboratory; Brooks City-Base TX USA
Dave Freeman, HenryJackson Foundation; Brooks City-Base TX USA
Thomas Kuyk, TASC Inc.; Brooks City-Base TX USA
William Brockmeier, TASC Inc.; Brooks City-Base TX USA
Presented at ILSC 2011

This joint Air Force-Navy study aims to provide a model for user acceptance for color appearance of Laser Eye Protection (LEP). The purpose of the study is to improve the capability to predict LEP color naming errors and user approval of specific filters. The project is divided into three phases. During the first phase, mathematical modeling, prediction generation and computer programming occur. In phase two, human use experiments are performed and Experiments 1 and 2 are set up to evaluate user acceptability metrics using color naming and operationally relevant cockpit tasks. Experiment 1 evaluates color naming using the FM-100 hue test and Modified Color Symbology Identification (MCSI) test, while Experiment 2 evaluates user acceptance in experienced pilots using the flight simulation task. During both experiments, data will be collected from subjects viewing LEP (one AF filter and one Navy filter) plus a control condition with no filters. Both experiments include a cognitive distraction condition to better capture the environment in which military members operate. Predictions are compared with user responses to a LEP acceptability survey. In Phase Three, the data are analyzed, reported, and presented. In this presentation, we will report our findings on modeling and prediction generation. We will also present our data on human use testing to date. We will make evaluations based on the data collected to show which metric (E-94 or CZA) better predicts LEP user acceptance.