Aviation experience and the role of stereopsis in rotary-wing altitude estimation. Hartle, B., Sudhama, A., Deas, L. M., Allison, R. S., Irving, E. L., Glaholt, M., & Wilcox, L. M. In 90th Annual Meeting of the Aerospace Medical Association (AsMA), Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.. 2019.
abstract   bibtex   
Introduction: The relevance of stereopsis as a medical selection variable for aviators is a longstanding question in aviation medicine. In a prior study we observed superior altitude estimation when subjects viewed simulated terrain images in stereoscopic 3D compared to monocular viewing, thus supporting the relevance of stereopsis to aviation (Deas et al., AsMA 2016). However, in that study we used undergraduates as the subject population. Professional aviators undergo rigorous selection and training that may enhance their use of specific depth cues during altitude estimation. The present study investigated this possibility by directly comparing the performance of military aviators and undergraduates in the estimation of simulated altitude under binocular and monocular viewing conditions. Methods: Thirty-one trained military rotary-wing aircrew and thirty undergraduate observers participated in the experiment. Stimuli consisted of four high-resolution terrain images depicting a virtual helicopter skid above a ground plane, simulating a low hover scenario. The rendered altitude of the skid varied from zero to five feet. Observers were asked to judge the relative distance between the skid and the ground plane under binocular (using active shutter glasses) and monocular (wearing an eye patch) viewing conditions. Results: The aviators significantly outperformed the undergraduates in the monocular viewing condition, though for both groups monocular altitude estimates were less accurate than binocular estimates. During binocular viewing, both groups tended to make accurate altitude estimates; there was no evidence that the aviators were superior to undergraduates when binocular cues were available. Discussion: The finding of superior performance for aviators compared to undergraduates during monocular viewing is consistent with the hypothesis that selection and experience can enhance the use of monocular depth cues. However, the aviators performed similarly to undergraduates during binocular viewing and both groups were shown to benefit from binocular viewing compared to monocular viewing, suggesting that stereopsis contributes in the same manner to rotary-wing altitude estimation regardless of aviation experience. Future work might seek to extend these findings to more natural viewing conditions and link individual differences in stereopsis to altitude estimation performance. Learning Objective 1) Learn about the relevance of stereopsis to altitude estimation for rotary wing aviators. MOC Questions 1) Stereopsis is based on the processing of binocular cues (T/F). T 2) Altitude can be estimated based on monocular cues (T/F). T
@incollection{Hartle:2019aa,
	abstract = {Introduction:
The relevance of stereopsis as a medical selection variable for aviators is a longstanding question in aviation medicine.  In a prior study we observed superior altitude estimation when subjects viewed simulated terrain images in stereoscopic 3D compared to monocular viewing, thus supporting the relevance of stereopsis to aviation (Deas et al., AsMA 2016).  However, in that study we used undergraduates as the subject population. Professional aviators undergo rigorous selection and training that may enhance their use of specific depth cues during altitude estimation.  The present study investigated this possibility by directly comparing the performance of military aviators and undergraduates in the estimation of simulated altitude under binocular and monocular viewing conditions. 

Methods:
Thirty-one trained military rotary-wing aircrew and thirty undergraduate observers participated in the experiment.  Stimuli consisted of four high-resolution terrain images depicting a virtual helicopter skid above a ground plane, simulating a low hover scenario.  The rendered altitude of the skid varied from zero to five feet.  Observers were asked to judge the relative distance between the skid and the ground plane under binocular (using active shutter glasses) and monocular (wearing an eye patch) viewing conditions.  

Results:
The aviators significantly outperformed the undergraduates in the monocular viewing condition, though for both groups monocular altitude estimates were less accurate than binocular estimates.  During binocular viewing, both groups tended to make accurate altitude estimates; there was no evidence that the aviators were superior to undergraduates when binocular cues were available.  

Discussion:
The finding of superior performance for aviators compared to undergraduates during monocular viewing is consistent with the hypothesis that selection and experience can enhance the use of monocular depth cues.  However, the aviators performed similarly to undergraduates during binocular viewing and both groups were shown to benefit from binocular viewing compared to monocular viewing, suggesting that stereopsis contributes in the same manner to rotary-wing altitude estimation regardless of aviation experience.  Future work might seek to extend these findings to more natural viewing conditions and link individual differences in stereopsis to altitude estimation performance.  

Learning Objective
1)	Learn about the relevance of stereopsis to altitude estimation for rotary wing aviators.

MOC Questions
1)	Stereopsis is based on the processing of binocular cues (T/F). T
2)	Altitude can be estimated based on monocular cues (T/F). T
},
	annote = {Hartle, B., Sudhama, A., Deas, L. M., Allison, R. S., Irving, E. L., Glaholt, M. G., \& Wilcox, L. M.   Aviation experience and the role of stereopsis in altitude estimation.  Presented to the 90th Annual Meeting of the Aerospace Medical Association (AsMA), Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.  May 6, 2019.},
	author = {Hartle, B. and Sudhama, A. and Deas, L. M. and Allison, R. S. and Irving, E. L. and Glaholt, M. and Wilcox, L. M.},
	booktitle = {90th Annual Meeting of the Aerospace Medical Association (AsMA), Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.},
	date-added = {2019-05-27 09:42:04 -0400},
	date-modified = {2019-05-27 09:42:04 -0400},
	keywords = {Stereopsis},
	title = {Aviation experience and the role of stereopsis in rotary-wing altitude estimation},
	year = {2019}}
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