Assessing visual performance during intense luminance changes in virtual reality

During indoor-outdoor transitions humans encounter luminance changes beyond the functional range of the photoreceptors, leaving the individual at risk of overlooking harmful low-contrast objects until adaptation processes re-enable optimal vision. To study human visual performance during intense luminance changes, we propose a virtual reality based simulation platform. After linearization of the headset's luminance output, detection times were recorded for ten participants. The small (FWHM = 0.6°) low-contrast stimuli appeared randomly in one of four corners (±10°) after luminance changes of three magnitudes within 1 or 3 s. Significantly decreased detection times were observed for the conditions with simulated self-tinting lenses compared to lenses with fixed transmission rates after luminance decreases. In cases of luminance increases all detection times were similar. In conclusion, the proposed virtual reality simulation platform allows for studying vision during or after steep luminance changes and helps to design technical aids like self-tinting lenses.