The effect of high acceleration on the brain and human vision will be considered, especially the interaction between reduced cerebral blood supply (systolic blood pressure at the head falling below intraocular pressure of 18 mm Hg) and retinal oxygenation.
In the considered conditions the still functioning brain lacks time to notice reduced retinal oxygenation (no response to light stimulation) at the minimal level of blood supply (at least 10 mm Hg systolic pressure above diastolic pressure). The result is a delayed attribution of meaning to the acquired context of a situation.
Instead of updating the flight model based on flight instruments, pilots tend to replace it with erroneous pre-LOC data or erroneous expectations (lack of awareness of being in LOC, loss of sense of time).
Vestibulo-oculomotor responses (VOR) are useful during ground operations. They ensure the stability of the image projection on the retina, essential for high-spatial-frequency vision, VOR moves the eyes at the same speed as the head, but in the opposite direction, compensating for head movement. This prevents the projected image from shifting and blurring, which can impair high-resolution vision.
The VOR operates in opposition to high-resolution vision, impairing it to the point, that pilots may struggle to properly read flight/navigation instruments.
Pre-flight testing is necessary to assess reduced VOR habituation. The WHITE-BOX project postulates monitoring the pilot's EYE MOVEMENTS during flight.
Co-sponsored by: Poznan University of Technology
Speaker(s): Jan Ober,
Room: room 230, Bldg: CENTER FOR MECHATRONICS, BIOMECHANICS, AND NANOENGINEERING, POZNAŃ UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY, ul. Jana Pawła II 24, 61-131 Poznań, Poland, Poznań, Wielkopolskie, Poland, 61-131, Virtual: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/561675
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