EFFECTS OF CONTRAST AND SPATIAL FREQUENCY ON IDEALIZED COMPENSATORY TASKS

Abstract

The present analysis describes a series of experiments to quantify the effects of loss of contrast on highly-idealized, compensatory piloting tasks. The effects of spatial frequency are simultaneously studied via the Modulation Transfer Function (MTF). The MTF can quantify the contrast and spatial frequency (relative size) of the objects that provide visual cues necessary for closing pilot control loops. A brief analysis is also performed on different input devices and their effects on task performance. The results show compensatory task performance can be modeled with multiple MTFs, each representing a unique numeric characterization of the pilot response in a single task. The results also quantify the intuitively known fact that physiological limits of human vision directly correlate to piloting task performance. Therefore, the MTF may represent a key building block of quantitative, objective rotorcraft Handling Qualities metrics for Degraded Visual Environments (DVE).