HCC: Small: Modeling the Validity and Transfer of Eye-Scanning Patterns for Hazard Perception from Virtual Reality Training Environments to Reality

感知危险的视觉搜索技能在许多领域都很关键。它们被飞行员用来保持对情况的感知，被医生用来检查屏幕图像以诊断健康障碍，被安全筛查员用来检查危险物质。它们也对新手司机检测道路危险的能力至关重要。对于新手司机来说，糟糕的视觉搜索技能可能会增加交通死亡的风险，这是全国青少年死亡的主要原因。虚拟现实可用于在驾驶员培训期间提供视觉搜索培训。然而，这些训练计划的成功取决于虚拟环境中眼睛扫描模式的有效性，以及用来得出这些模式的模拟参数。这项研究的总体目标是评估虚拟世界中搜索模式应用于物理领域时的有效性，然后确定哪些模拟参数对成功的基于模拟器的危险感知训练至关重要。智力优势：该项目将整合理论和数据，以提高我们对基于虚拟现实的危险感知培训的哪些参数的了解，从而最大限度地将培训转移到现实世界的驾驶中。具体地说，该项目将(A)研究驾驶模拟器中的视觉搜索与使用特殊装备的车辆在现实世界中进行视觉搜索之间的关系；(B)测试驾驶模拟器的哪些方面能够带来最佳的培训和学习转移；以及(C)研究年龄和经验如何影响危险感知技能。更广泛的影响：该项目的发现将促进对虚拟现实培训模拟如何用于改善驾驶员教育的科学理解，从而导致更好的驾驶员和更少的交通事故。该成果也将适用于虚拟现实培训可能有价值的其他领域，如医疗诊断和安全筛查。此外，该项目将使一些处境不利的学生能够参与工程和技术研究，并包括一个高中推广部分，让学生在早期就参与研究。

Visual search skills for hazard perception are critical in many domains. They are used by pilots to maintain situation awareness, by doctors reviewing screen images to diagnose health disorders, and by security screeners inspecting for hazardous materials. They are also critical to a novice driver's ability to detect roadway hazards. For novice drivers, poor visual search skills can increase the risk for traffic fatalities, which are the leading cause of death for teenagers nationwide. Virtual reality can be used to provide visual search training during driver education. However, the success of these training programs depends on the validity of eye-scanning patterns in the virtual environment and on the simulation parameters employed to elicit those patterns. The overall objective of the research is to assess the validity of search patterns in the virtual world as they apply to the physical realm, and then to identify which simulation parameters are critical for successful simulator-based hazard perception training. Intellectual merit: The project will integrate theory and data to advance our knowledge of which parameters of virtual reality-based hazard perception training promote the greatest transfer of training to real world driving. Specifically, the project will (a) examine the relationship between visual search in driving simulators vs. that in the real world, using specially equipped vehicles; (b) test which aspects of the driving simulator lead to the best training and transfer of learning; and (c) examine how age and experience influence hazard perception skills. Broader impacts: The findings from the project will advance scientific understanding of how virtual reality training simulations can be used to improve driver education, thereby leading to better drivers and fewer traffic accidents. The results will also be applicable to other areas in which virtual reality training can be valuable, such as medical diagnosis and security screening. In addition, the project will enable a number of disadvantaged students to take part in engineering and technology research and includes a high school outreach component to engage students in research at an early age.