Minutes - ASTM E12.11.05 WG on Flashing Lights
Third Meeting, Salt Lake City, 8:30 AM to 9:45 AM, June 27, 2002
Run by Dennis Couzin
 
 
Attendance
Dennis Couzin
Carl Andersen
Richard Austin
Justin Rennilson
James Worthey
 
Ian Tutt sent a well illustrated historical report. Andersen contributed
more fascinating lighthouse stories.
 
Brief presentation on Rashbass' (1970) result for double flashes.
 
Determination that barricade lights at 200m are about 150 x safe threshold.
Based on Broca-Sulzer result, can't expect threshold formulas to apply to
these, or any other practical flashing warning lights. Nevertheless, WG
will stick to threshold, as Effective Intensity concept requires.
 
Couzin distributed his"2, 3, many Blondel-Reys" and briefly explained its
results:
extends the Blondel-Rey equation to multi-peak flashes.
shows Blondel-Rey-Douglas equation mathematically incoherent
 
Brief discussion of literature on flashing lights and 1970 bibliography.
Couzin didn't think he could write a post-1970 bibliography.
 
Andersen was optimistic that FHWA can copy the Berkeley Maxwell view
apparatus and establish visual lab. He envisioned many experiments beyond
those of this WG. He requested experimental requirements from the group.
 
Proposed that the committee limit its formula to
white light
foveal view
low photopic adaptation
as suggested by Prof. Vienot, and also that the viewing apparatus overfill
the subject's pupil.
 
Proposition floated that committee accept the convolutional model (closely
agreeing with Blondel-Rey for rectangle flashes) provided that experiments
with oddball flashes (like the Rashbass 40 ms separated double flash) do
not find errors greater than 2 x. This may be safer than trying to modify
the q(t) to accomodate oddball flashes.