Simulating laser dazzling using augmented and virtual reality

Dazzling of the human eye by lasers or bright light sources is a commonly used non-lethal measure to warn individuals or to reduce the human performance of an opponent in security or military scenarios. To study the deterioration of the human performance, e.g. in terms of the ability to drive a vehicle or with respect to task performance, like shooting precision, dazzle experiments on subjects are essential. Experiments with laser dazzlers require complex and careful preparation to ensure laser safety. Moreover, in many cases an approval from an ethics committee is required. In this publication, we propose an approach for the assessment of human performance degradation with regard to laser dazzle based on augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR). Instead of using a laser dazzler, the visual incapacitation is implemented by a virtual dazzle spot simulated on an AR/VR device. The achievable level of obscuration and veiling caused by the virtual dazzle spot is investigated experimentally and, in a further step, compared to experiments performed with real lasers as described in the literature.