Research on the Movement Speed of Situational Map Symbols Based on User Dynamic Preference Perception

Abstract

When designing situational maps, selecting distinct and visually comfortable movement speeds for dynamic elements is an ongoing challenge for designers. This study addresses this issue by conducting two experiments to measure the human eye’s ability to discern moving speeds on a screen and examines how symbol movement speeds within situational maps affect users’ subjective experiences, task performance, and visual comfort. The first experiment measured participants’ speed discrimination capabilities for Landolt Ring of varying sizes moving at 0–256°/s, yielding speed discrimination thresholds of 7–23% and a sensitive velocity range of 1–64°/s. The second experiment evaluated observers’ visual perceptions of moving elements within a cognitive task across the same range of 1–64°/s, identifying three significant benchmarks—8°/s, 16°/s, and 32°/s. These can be utilized to categorize slow-, moderate-, and fast-moving symbols in situational maps. The findings can aid in designing human–machine interface environments with improved viewer experience and visual comfort for both Air Traffic Control interfaces and situational maps.