Evaluation of Aircrew Low-Intensity Threat Laser Eye Protection

Area of Science:

• Optometry
• Aviation Safety
• Human Factors Engineering

Background:

• High-power laser pointers pose a significant risk to aviators, exceeding safe viewing standards.
• The US Coast Guard (USCG) requires specialized eye protection for cockpit environments and night vision goggle (NVG) compatibility.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate prototype low-intensity threat laser eye protection (LIT-LEP) spectacles for USCG aviation applications.
• To assess the impact of LIT-LEP on visual acuity, color vision, and display discrimination tasks.

Main Methods:

• A repeated-measures experimental design compared LIT-LEP performance against a no-LEP control.
• Evaluated tasks included contrast acuity (near/far), NVG acuity, color vision screening, and color symbol discrimination.
• Measured reaction time and accuracy for display tasks under various lighting conditions.

Main Results:

• LIT-LEP demonstrated good near- and far-contrast acuity in typical cockpit lighting.
• NVG performance was only marginally affected at a single high contrast level.
• Color vision remained unaffected, but some non-primary display colors showed slower discrimination and reduced accuracy.

Conclusions:

• Prototype LIT-LEP is suitable for USCG cockpits with minimal visual compromise.
• Further research is needed to optimize LIT-LEP for specific display colors and NVG use.
• Findings will inform acquisition decisions and future laser eye protection designs for aviation.