Human Visual Performance and Flat Panel Display Image Quality

This is the Final Technical Report of Task I: Human Engineering Survey and Analysis of the subject contract. The task is a survey of the pertinent visual performance, display system capability, and human engineering design requirements for flat panel visual displays, as applied to U.S. Navy Airborne, Shipborne, and Land-Based Systems. The report contains two application examples of the selection of flat panel displays for both airborne and ship- based information systems. It also surveys the current state of the art of flat panel display technologies, and the manner by which existing visual performance and theory can be applied to the selection and evaluation of flat panel technologies for various applications. The flat panel technologies surveyed are light emitting diodes, electroluminescence, liquid crystal, electrochromic, electrophoretic, and gas (plasma) discharge. A uniform set of performance variables is used to compare the various technologies, both among themselves and with the traditional cathode ray tube. Similarly, these technologies are evaluated against design criteria and current models of image quality which relate human performance to display characteristics. Pertinent human visual performance data are presented as the basis for selecting and applying image quality models. Data gaps and needs are summarized at the end of the report.