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Application of colour combinations on visual search tasks under vibration environments

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 December 2020

Hailiang Wang ,
Da Tao ,
Shuang Liu ,
Tuoyang Zhou  and
Xingda Qu
Hailiang Wang
Affiliation:
Institute of Human Factors and Ergonomics, College of Mechatronics and Control Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China. Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Devices and Systems of Ministry of Education and Guangdong Province, College of Optoelectronic Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China.
Da Tao*
Affiliation:
Institute of Human Factors and Ergonomics, College of Mechatronics and Control Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China.
Shuang Liu
Affiliation:
School of Aeronautics Science and Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing, China.
Tuoyang Zhou
Affiliation:
Marine Human Factors Engineering Lab, China Institute of Marine Technology and Economy, Beijing, China
Xingda Qu
Affiliation:
Institute of Human Factors and Ergonomics, College of Mechatronics and Control Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China.
*
*Corresponding author. E-mail: taoda@szu.edu.cn
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Abstract

Colour is widely utilised as a visual coding system in visual search, but its application under vibration conditions (e.g., in various vehicles) has not been fully explored. This study was designed to examine the effect of colour combinations on performance of visual search tasks conducted in vibration conditions. Forty-eight university students participated in an experiment where they were required to identify target type and location under 24 colour combinations (half in negative polarity and half in positive polarity) and three vibration conditions (static, low, and high). The findings showed that vibration did not significantly affect performance, perceptions, or physiological aspects. Colour combination significantly affected response time, and the participants preferred colour combinations that had the potential to produce better performance. Colour combinations with negative polarity (e.g., yellow on black and white on black) are recommended for presenting search interfaces. These findings are of importance in human–computer interface designs for information display under vibration conditions.

Keywords

Colour CombinationVibrationVisual SearchHuman–Computer Interaction
Type
Research Article
Information
The Journal of Navigation , Volume 74 , Issue 2 , March 2021 , pp. 311 - 327
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Copyright
Copyright © The Royal Institute of Navigation 2020

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