Testing and training for fast identification of teammates in low vision conditions

![CDATA[Recognizing familiars from a distance or in low vision conditions is a perceptual ability that humans have likely developed over time by basic selection principles. From an evolutionary perspective, classifying familiars and strangers from a distance by the way they move has survival value, as the observer can prepare to fight or flee. Recently, Steel and colleagues have shown that invasion games players can classify people seen for <1 sec as their teammates or not, in times fast enough to be useful in ball sports, which are similar to combat in terms of the need for swift decisions. To collect these reaction-times for teammate ID, a new latency recording device was employed. This protocol could be used in military training to determine how well and how quickly soldiers can recognise running platoon members from a very brief visual exposure. In combat, fast and accurate decisions about friend or foe are vital, and the TM-10 test could evaluate the quality of training designed to improve platoon member recognition.]]