An Analysis of Visibility Aids for Biomotion Through 3D Eye-tracking Systems

Biological motion, or biomotion, is the perceptual phenomenon in which highlighting the major joints of the body renders recognition of the human form almost immediately. By taking advantage of biomotion, clothing materials and garments can increase visibility of bicyclists. The purpose of this research is to compare the effectiveness of biomotion visibility aids for nighttime bicyclists via 3D eye-tracking technology. Four visibility aid conditions were tested via a between-subjects experiment: biomotion (retro-reflective knee and ankle bands), non-biomotion (retro-reflective vest), pseudo-biomotion (vertical retro-reflective stripes on the back of the legs), and control (all-black clothing). A one-way ANOVA and post-hoc analysis were conducted. Both biomotion and pseudo-biomotion conditions were found to be significantly more visible than non-biomotion and control conditions. These results have the potential to benefit clothing designers, drivers, and bicyclists alike.