EAPSI: Enhancing spatial perceptual sensitivity on a simulated real-world complex visual search task

对特定物体、人或活动的视觉搜索是许多职业任务的重要要求，包括侦察、搜索和救援行动。越来越多的无人驾驶飞行器（uav）的部署进一步增加了人类操作员在这些飞行器上的传感器提供的静止和视频图像中搜索目标的需求。在这类任务中发展专业技能通常需要大量的实践和培训。本研究的目的是探讨使用无创经颅直流电刺激（tDCS）来加速模拟无人机操作的复杂视觉搜索任务学习的可行性和效益。这项工作将与位于日本大阪的信息和神经网络中心（CiNET）的航空研究领域专家Daniel Callan博士合作进行。功能磁共振成像（fMRI）将用于识别任务执行期间额顶叶皮层网络的特定激活区域。然后，这些区域将使用tDCS进行刺激。在tDCS训练前后的任务执行过程中采集EEG数据，观察tDCS对复杂视觉搜索相关神经反应的影响。本研究的结果将推进复杂视觉搜索的神经认知机制的理论知识，并确定提高此类任务中技能习得的方法。该奖项由美国国家科学基金会与日本科学促进会合作资助。NSF EAPSI奖是与日本科学促进会合作资助的。

Visual search for specific objects, people, or activities is an important requirement in many occupational tasks, including reconnaissance and search and rescue operations. Increasing deployment of unmanned air vehicles (UAVs) has further added to the need for human operators to search for targets in still and video images provided by sensors on such vehicles. Developing expertise in such tasks typically takes extensive practice and training. The purpose of this research is to investigate the feasibility and benefits of using non-invasive transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to accelerate learning on a complex visual search task simulating UAV operations. This work will be conducted in collaboration with Dr. Daniel Callan, an expert in the field of aviation research, at the Center for Information and Neural Networks (CiNET) in Osaka, Japan. Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) will be used to identify specific regions of activation in frontoparietal cortical networks during task performance. These areas will then be targeted for stimulation using tDCS. Electroencephalography (EEG) data will also be collected during task performance before and after tDCS training in order to observe the effects of tDCS on neural responses related to complex visual search. The results of this study will advance theoretical knowledge of the neurocognitive mechanisms of complex visual search and identify methods for improving skill acquisition in such tasks. This NSF EAPSI award is funded in collaboration with Japan Society for the Promotion of Science. This NSF EAPSI award is funded in collaboration with the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science.