TRB Pubsindex
Text Size:

Title:

VISUAL DETECTION AND RECOGNITION OF FLUORESCENT COLOR TARGETS VERSUS NONFLUORESCENT COLOR TARGETS AS A FUNCTION OF PERIPHERAL VIEWING ANGLE AND TARGET SIZE

Accession Number:

00744714

Record Type:

Component

Availability:

Find a library where document is available


Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/0309061741

Abstract:

Daytime conspicuity of targets with fluorescent and nonfluorescent backgrounds as a function of the peripheral angle and the target size was investigated in the field. The resulting peripheral detection and recognition data may prove relevant to, for example, a bicyclist or a pedestrian approaching a driver at an intersection from a side street, or to a construction worker approaching a driver in a road construction site. Two groups of nine young, healthy subjects were used. White, blue, green, red, fluorescent red, fluorescent yellow-green, yellow, fluorescent yellow, orange, and fluorescent orange were presented at peripheral angles to the right of the line of sight. The targets were presented at a radial distance of 30 m (100 ft) from the front bumper of the car at the selected peripheral angle. The subjects were seated in a stationary car and the targets were visible for 2 sec. Each subject provided a total of 180 observations. The results of this study indicate that the fluorescent color targets (especially the fluorescent yellow-green) were considerably better-detected peripherally than their nonfluorescent counterparts. Furthermore, for some peripheral angles fluorescent yellow-green was among the top three best recognized colors. On the basis of the results of this study, it may be concluded tentatively that to maximize daytime conspicuity for peripheral detection and recognition, highly conspicuous fluorescent colors such as fluorescent yellow-green, along with a fairly large target size, should be selected. It appears that however conspicuous a color is alone, if the target is too small for the visual angle subtended, the color will not be well detected or recognized, especially at larger peripheral viewing angles.

Supplemental Notes:

This paper appears in Transportation Research Record No. 1605, Research on Traffic Control Devices.

Language:

English

Corporate Authors:

Transportation Research Board

500 Fifth Street, NW
Washington, DC 20001 United States

Authors:

Zwahlen, H T
Schnell, T

Pagination:

p. 28-40

Publication Date:

1997

Serial:

Transportation Research Record

Issue Number: 1605
Publisher: Transportation Research Board
ISSN: 0361-1981

ISBN:

0309061741

Features:

Figures (8) ; References (6) ; Tables (5)

Uncontrolled Terms:

Old TRIS Terms:

Subject Areas:

Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; I73: Traffic Control

Files:

TRIS, TRB, ATRI

Created Date:

Dec 31 1998 12:00AM

More Articles from this Serial Issue: