Background: Tower air traffic controllers separate aircraft to assure safety and expedite the flow of traffic. During poor visibility (e.g., fog) the aircraft landing and departure rate decreases significantly which can result in flight delays. The purpose of this study was to investigate the feasibility of using electro-optic sensors to enhance tower controller visual capabilities during poor atmospheric or low-illumination conditions. Methods: Day and nighttime visible, mid-and long-wave infrared digital imagery were collected at an airfield. To validate the collected imagery, a human-in-the-loop analytic model was used to predict an average military observer's visual discrimination of a target on the airport surface. Results: The field data collection and model results found that electro-optic sensors, in particular long-wave infrared, improved operators nighttime detection, recognition, and identification of targets on the airfield surface. Conclusions: Actual or potential applications of this research include integrating electro-optic sensors into the tower to improve aircraft movement during poor visibility.
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