Searching for Tracks Imaged as Symbols or Realistic Icons: A Comparison Between Two-Dimensional and Three-Dimensional Displays

摘要

Three-dimensional (3-D) views of battle spaces generally depict military assets as miniature realistic icons. Little is known about a user's ability to accurately classify and identify realistic icons. We found in a previous study that participants could name a conventional two-dimensional (2-D) military symbol faster than a realistic three-dimensional (3-D) icon. In Experiment 1 of the current work, participants were required to search for tracks represented as flat military symbols or realistic icons displayed in a 2- D top-down view or a 3-D perspective view. Tracks were differentiated by the attributes of identity, affiliation, heading, speed, altitude, and attitude. Tracks imaged as symbols were easier to find than tracks imaged as icons when searching for identity and affiliation in 2-D and 3-D. Icons were easier to find than symbols in 2-D and 3-D when searching for speed. When searching for heading, icons were easier to find in 2-D while symbols were easier to find in 3-D. No differences were found for track altitude or attitude.