Measurement on Reaction Time of Visual Attention in Depth during Driving

Abstract

This research aimed to reveal characteristics of visual attention of low-vision drivers. Near and far stimuli were used by means of a three-dimensional (3D) attention measurement system that simulated traffic environment. We measured the reaction time of subjects while attention shifted in three kinds of imitational peripheral environment illuminance (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 illuminance had evident influence on the reaction time of drivers, the reaction time was slow in dawn and twilight conditions than in daylight condition, distribution of attention had the advantage in nearer space than farther space, that is, and the shifts of attention in 3D space had an anisotropy characteristic in depth. The results suggested that (1) visual attention might be operated with both precueing paradigm and stimulus controls included the depth information, (2) an anisotropy characteristic of attention shifting depend on the attention moved distance, and it showed remarkably in dawn condition than in daylight and twilight conditions.