Effects of display contrast and field of view on distance perception

Abstract

Many systems today do not allow the operator to view the environment directly. For example, operators of telerobotic or remote manipulation systems may be far removed from the work site. In these situations, images from cameras at the task site provide the only visual link between the task and operator. Such imaging systems are unable to provide exact representations of the task environment, resulting in a possible degradation of important visual cues. If visual cues are degraded, task performance may be less accurate, require increased completion time, and subject the operator to hazardous conditions.

In this study, the field of view and contrast of imagery were manipulated to determine their effects on observers' ability to estimate distances of targets within natural settings. Images were video taped with a rotating camera and the targets were placed between 9.14 m and 60.96 m from the camera. The fields of view ranged from 20 deg to 74 deg. A lightly wooded area and an open field were used to provide either high or low visual contexts, respectively. Participants rated their confidence in the distance estimates on a seven-point scale.