PERIPHERAL STIMULI AND STEREOACUITY FOR NAVY DIVERS WORKING UNDER WATER by

A variety of experiments were carried out in an attempt to improve stereoacuity for Navy divers working under water by providing additional peripheral visual stimulation. Acuity is most improved when the peripheral stimuli are at the same distance from the observer as the target. As the peripheral stimuli are moved closer to the observer than the target, their beneficial effects are decreased and beyond a certain point their presence degrades acuity. This effect seems to be made worse by increasing turbidity of the water, which decreases the contrast of the distant target relative to that of the nearby peripheral stimuli.