Psychophysical Criteria for Visual Simulation Systems. Phase II. Experimental Investigations of Display Joints and Scene Inserts.

Abstract : This report describes the approach, procedures, and results of two psychophysical experiments to provide data useful in developing design criteria for visual simulation systems. The first dealt with the influence of the width of joints between display channels on the discrimination of vertical and rotational scene misalignment across the joint. The resulting information indicated that increasing amounts of rotation resulted in an increased percentage of correct detections. This anticipated result was not found for the displacement conditions. It was hypothesized that this unexpected result may have been caused by the counteracting effect of the Poggendorff visual illusion. The second psychophysical experiment dealt with the discrimination of rotational misalignment of scene inserts. Increasing insert size and increasing rotational misalignment produced increased detection performance. The 50% detection threshold occurring at 7 arc seconds of displacement between corresponding portions of the insert and surrounding scenes. Design tolerances based on these data are suggested. (Author)