Altitude control in simulated flight using 3‐D objects and terrain texture
Robert Patterson, George A. Geri, Brian P. Dyre, Shama C. Akhtar, Christine M. Covas, Byron J. Pierce · Journal of the Society for Information Display · 2005
Abstract— In this study, the effects of manipulating the properties of 3‐D objects and terrain texture on the control of altitude in simulated flight has been investigated. 3‐D objects were found to be as effective as terrain texture for controlling altitude, and this result was interpreted as suggesting that both terrain texture and 3‐D objects can serve as effective carriers of information about motion parallax and optical expansion and contraction. The present results, which were obtained using a vertically defined flight task, are inconsistent with the findings of Patterson et al., who reported that 3‐D objects were more effective than terrain texture for controlling a horizontally defined heading task. The present results indicate that, when terrain texture is present, the motion parallax or optical expansion associated with the presence of 3‐D objects does not improve altitude control.