New Eye Test Gauges Judgment of Level (Sep, 1939)
New Eye Test Gauges Judgment of Level
An eye defect that causes some persons to see things slanted that are actually level, may be the cause of certain types of plane crashes and automobile accidents, according to optical scientists at Dartmouth College, Hanover, N. H. A pilot suffering from this ailment, it is stated, might see a landing field on a slant and bank his plane accordingly on landing, only to find too late that the field was flat. To diagnose this condition, scientists of the American Optical Company have developed a special test apparatus in which a subject looks through eyepieces at a table which is tilted by manipulating wheels with the hands. When the subject has adjusted the table to what appears to be a level position, the examiner compares this position with the true horizontal and thus checks the subject’s judgment.