Assessment of Shooting Performance Degradation by Laser Dazzling in a Shooting Simulator

We report first results from laser dazzling trials of human subjects conducted in the shooting simulator at the Royal Military Academy (RMA), Brussels, Belgium within the framework of NATO SET-249. The motivation for the work was to assess the degree of task performance degradation induced by laser dazzle. While a decrease in the field-of-view of the eye is a representative manifestation of visual performance degradation caused by laser dazzle, additional effects are also believed to contribute to task performance impairment. However, the degree to which the reduction in field-of-view affects task performance, and the impact of other potential factors, is still uncertain and requires further investigation. To consistently assess these effects, we set up a shooting simulator in a dark tunnel equipped with a projection screen, beamer, and a dazzling laser that provided a safe but non-negligible dazzling effect. The shooting task allowed for relatively easy performance quantification through shooting scores and time to shoot from a sound signal. To enable effective statistical analysis, the experiment was designed to be repetitive while minimizing the impact of muscle memory and shooter fatigue. Participants were trained shooters with similar shooting training and experience to limit
statistical variances. Experimental conditions included different offset angles, target contrasts, background luminance levels, and ballistic goggles. Shooting scores and delays were recorded for each shot and statistically analysed using a linear mixed model. The results are in good agreement with data from a dazzling trial conducted on an indoor shooting range and can be nicely scaled to calculated Adrian/CIE visibility levels. Additionally, we compared the results with a laser dazzled camera under similar conditions.