Effects of visual flow display of flight maneuvers on perceived spatial orientation

Postural responses were utilized as measures of the effectiveness of a wide-angle visual flow display in determining perceived spatial orientation (SO). The general experimental setup included a 150 degrees x 34 degrees wide-field display showing flight over computer-generated ground with horizon. Simulated roll maneuvers on this display induced postural sway in the observer that was registered by a head-tracker system. Two experiments with 16 participants in each investigated the effects of visual flow, display exclusions in the central visual field, and display extensions into the visual periphery. Clear vestibular and proprioceptive suppression effects were demonstrated on postural sway with the inclusion of visual flow of forward ego motion in roll maneuvers. Compared with the full view, up to 20 degrees x 20 degrees central field omission either did not reduce the effect or reduced the effect but, frequently, only moderately. Limiting the display area to 45 degrees in the horizontal dimension reduced display effectiveness significantly, whereas a 105 degrees area did not, compared with the full view. Utilizing postural responses as indications of visual display resonance with our SO mechanism, actual or potential applications of this research include the design of an interface integrating flight-adapted visual flow to counteract or reduce pilot spatial disorientation.