Preliminary Evaluation of Four Low Light Shield Designs for the Ballistic Eyewear

Abstract : A fifteen-day field trial was performed at Fort Benning, Georgia, to evaluate the acceptability of the four low light shields (LLS) Ballistic Eyewear (BEW). The Canadian Land Forces acquired ReVision Ballistic Protective Eyewear (BEW) for the LF as part of the Clothe the Soldier (CTS) project. Currently, the BEW are issued with only a clear and a solar lens. There are a number of other lenses available for the ReVision eyewear system including blue blockers or amber lenses. Blocking out blue light can make objects appear clearer in some situations, and for soldiers, aid in target detection and identification. Assessment of the BEW system followed a progressive testing approach from an initial vision performance test to dynamic discrete twilight live fire testing to finally dynamic military battle task testing. The progressive testing approach focused user experience so that participants could make a knowledgeable assessment of overall acceptability for all four of the low-light shields. . The uncontrolled group wore the eyewear during platoon and section attacks and section patrols as part of a Soldier Information Requirements Technology Demonstration (SIREQ-TD) experiment. The participants rated both the yellow and amber LLS as more acceptable than either the gradient or the orange LLS. Furthermore, most soldiers considered the low light shield BEW as a nice to have.