Laser glare in the cockpit: psychophysical estimates versus model predictions of veiling luminance distribution

Two methods for estimating the visual effects of light scattered from a las er glare source were compared: (1) a veiling luminance (VL) model that conv olves a radiometric scan of the corneal Light distribution with a point-spr ead function to calculate the retinal distribution and (2) psychophysically determined equivalent background luminance (EBL). For six subjects, detect ion thresholds for a 12-are-min-diameter test spot were measured at 24 poin ts in the glare field (4 quadrants x 6 eccentricities between 0.25 and 8 de g). Measured Weber fractions were used to calculate EBL's for each test poi nt. Output of the VL model matched the EEL data well, but underestimated th e EEL at the smallest (0.25-deg) eccentricity and overestimated it at eccen tricities from 1 to 4 deg. This model can be a useful predictor of visual d ecrements in a variety of glare situations. (C) 2001 Optical Society of Ame rica.