Three-Dimensional Computer Simulation Test of Leibowitz Hypothesis

Do large objects appear to approach more slowly than smaller objects traveling at the same speed? If so then this might help explain the inordinately high accident rates involving large vehicles such as buses and trains. To test this, this study constructed an experiment using a 3D visual simulator in which different sized textured spheres approached at different speeds. We found that observers consistently judged the smaller sphere to be the faster, even in cases where the larger sphere was traveling at up to twice the speed of the smaller. Analysis of these results suggests that the brain relies upon the perceived rate of change of an object’s visual angle to determine how quickly an object is approaching.

• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Research Board

  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001
• Authors:
  • Barton, Joseph Edward
  • Cohn PhD, Theodore Elliot
• Conference:
  • Transportation Research Board 86th Annual Meeting
  • Location: Washington DC, United States
  • Date: 2007-1-21 to 2007-1-25
• Date: 2007

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: CD-ROM
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 10p
• Monograph Title: TRB 86th Annual Meeting Compendium of Papers CD-ROM

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bus crashes; Crash rates; Railroad crashes; Simulation; Speed; Spheres; Visualization
• Uncontrolled Terms: Large vehicles; Object detection systems; Three dimensional modeling
• Subject Areas: Highways; Railroads; Safety and Human Factors; I80: Accident Studies;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01045964
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: 07-3329
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Feb 8 2007 8:01PM