Dazzle camouflage, a distinctive pattern used during World War I, is found to be effective due to an unforeseen optical illusion, according to a new study.
In a groundbreaking study published on March 14, 2021, researchers from the University of California re-examined the efficacy of dazzle camouflage, a patterned design used on ships during World War I to confuse enemy perceptions. The study, published in Sage Journals, has shed new light on the role of the horizon effect in the success of dazzle camouflage.
During World War I, navies painted their ships in "dazzle" camouflage, also known as "razzle dazzle." This unconventional design, which used stark geometric patterns, was intended to confuse German U-boat captains' perception of a ship's direction and speed. However, the new study has revealed that the horizon effect may have played a greater role in deceiving viewers than the camouflage itself.
The horizon effect, a psychological phenomenon, causes viewers to perceive ships as traveling along the horizon even when they're traveling at an angle of up to 25 degrees relative to the horizon. This effect was not identified during World War I, making it a previously unrecognised factor that "deceiving the deceivers."
The researchers found that the horizon effect was evident in participants familiar with camouflage deception, including a lieutenant in a European navy. This finding adds credibility to the researchers' earlier conclusions, showing that the horizon effect was not overcome by those best placed to know better.
In a new experiment, the researchers compared the results across the original dazzle camouflage versions and versions with the camouflage edited out. If dazzle camouflage were solely responsible for the visual deception, viewers should have consistently seen the bow "twist" away from the direction of travel. However, the study found that in certain instances, when the model boat was moving away from the viewer, the onlooker saw the bow "twisting" towards them, indicating another factor was influencing the illusion.
The new study, co-authored by Timothy Meese, a professor of vision science, and Samantha Strong, provides valuable insights into the role of the horizon effect in the success of dazzle camouflage. Previous criticisms of the methods used by MIT student Leo Blodgett in his 1919 study, which first demonstrated the effectiveness of dazzle camouflage, have been partially addressed by this new research.
The study published on March 14, 2021, re-analyzed a 106-year-old study on the efficacy of dazzle camouflage, providing a fascinating insight into the enduring mystery of this World War I naval tactic. The findings suggest that the horizon effect, rather than the dazzle camouflage itself, was the primary deception factor in Blodgett's study. This new understanding of the role of the horizon effect in deception could have implications for modern military camouflage design and tactics.
Read also:
- Understanding Hemorrhagic Gastroenteritis: Key Facts
- Stopping Osteoporosis Treatment: Timeline Considerations
- Tobacco industry's suggested changes on a legislative modification are disregarded by health journalists
- Expanded Community Health Involvement by CK Birla Hospitals, Jaipur, Maintained Through Consistent Outreach Programs Across Rajasthan
