Depth Attentional Characteristics of Low-Vision Drivers in Driving Scene

Abstract

The present investigation aimed to reveal characteristics of depth attention shifting of low-vision drivers in driving. Near and far stimuli were used by means of a three-dimensional (3-D) attention measurement apparatus that simulated traffic environment. A special test eyepiece, there was a yellow plastic film in front of eyepiece, have been fabricated, it can simulate low-vision scene. We measured reaction time of subjects while attention shifted in three kinds of imitational peripheral environment luminance (daylight, twilight and dawn conditions). Subjects were required to judge whether the target presented nearer than fixation point or further than it. The results showed that the peripheral environment luminance had evident influence on the reaction time of subjects, reaction time was slow in dawn and twilight condition than in daylight condition, distribution of attention in depth had the advantage in nearer space than farther space, that is, and the shifts of attention in 3-D space had an anisotropy characteristic in depth. These findings suggested that (1) attention in 3-D space might be operated with both precueing paradigm and stimulus controls included the depth information, (2) an anisotropy characteristic of attention shifting in 3-D space depend on the attention moved distance, and it showed remarkably in dawn condition than in daylight and twilight condition. The results were beneficial to development of intelligent driving support systems.