Sungchul Mun

Does visual fatigue from 3D displays affect autonomic regulation and heart rhythm

Most investigations into the negative effects of viewing stereoscopic 3D content on human health have addressed 3D visual fatigue and visually induced motion sickness (VIMS). Very few, however, have looked into changes in autonomic balance and heart rhythm, which are homeostatic factors that ought to be taken into consideration when assessing the overall impact of 3D video viewing on human health. In this study, 30 participants were randomly assigned to two groups: one group watching a 2D video, (2D-group) and the other watching a 3D video (3D-group). The subjects in the 3D-group showed significantly increased heart rates (HR), indicating arousal, and an increased VLF/HF (Very Low Frequency/High Frequency) ratio (a measure of autonomic balance), compared to those in the 2D-group, indicating that autonomic balance was not stable in the 3D-group. Additionally, a more disordered heart rhythm pattern and increasing heart rate (as determined by the R-peak to R-peak (RR) interval) was observed among subjects in the 3D-group compared to subjects in the 2D-group, further indicating that 3D viewing induces lasting activation of the sympathetic nervous system and interrupts autonomic balance.

Overview of Measurement Methods for Factors Affecting the Human Visual System in 3D Displays

Three-dimensional (3D) display systems are widely used nowadays, and their psychophysiological effects on human health have been investigated in detail. However, due to recent advances in 3D display technology, such as (super) multiview display or holography, there is a clear and pressing need to develop a new measurement method for determining optimal viewing parameters. Depending on the display system in question, virtual objects with depth information may present different properties to the human visual system and thus are perceived differently. The methods to measure the factors that affect human health in 3D displays need to be thoroughly reviewed in order to further investigate these characteristics and determine optimal viewing parameters. In this paper, we review various measurement methods that have been proposed to examine the effects of 3D stimuli on the human visual system. We provide an overview of recent advances in 3D techniques by relating them with human factors, primarily focusing on subjective and objective measurement methods, to ensure that human-friendly 3D content and displays will benefit from recent technical advances.

Performance Comparison of a SSVEP BCI Task by Individual Stereoscopic 3D Susceptibility

This study aimed at investigating the differences in brain–computer interface (BCI) task performance between 2D and 3D displays depending on their individual susceptibility to stereoscopic 3D. Eleven female and 10 male participants attempted a steady-state visually evoked potential BCI navigation task in a virtual home environment with and without 3D views. Participants were categorized into fatigued and unfatigued groups, depending on their individual susceptibility to 3D, which was characterized using a subjective evaluation method for 3D visual fatigue. The task completion time for the fatigued group under the 3D conditions was significantly delayed relative to the 2D mode. In contrast, a significantly decreased completion time was observed in the 3D view relative to the 2D view for the unfatigued group. The averaged positive predictive value significantly increased in the 3D mode relative to the 2D one for the unfatigued group only. These results are expected to provide a practical implication for enhancing BCI task performance in light of individual vulnerability to 3D.

Evaluation of 3D cognitive fatigue using heart–brain synchronization

The purpose of this study was to identify an evaluation method for 3D cognitive fatigue based on a heart-brain synchronization phenomenon known as the heartbeat evoked potential (HEP). Thirty undergraduate students (15 females) watched a video in both 2D and 3D for an hour. Because visual fatigue is related to cognitive load, the HEP was used as an indicator of communication between the heart and the brain and therefore of cognitive function; responses were compared after 2D and 3D viewing. At the standard EEG sites F3 and F4, the alpha activity of the first and second HEP components was significantly increased after 3D video viewing relative to 2D. This increase likely indicates that sensory input from 3D video requires heavy computation by the brain, stimulating heart activity. The conclusion is that the first and second HEP components are significant parameters that can quantitatively evaluate 3D visual fatigue. Further work is needed to uncover the cause of 3D visual fatigue.

Evaluation of viewing experiences induced by a curved three-dimensional display

Abstract. Despite an increased need for three-dimensional (3-D) functionality in curved displays, comparisons pertinent to human factors between curved and flat panel 3-D displays have rarely been tested. This study compared stereoscopic 3-D viewing experiences induced by a curved display with those of a flat panel display by evaluating subjective and objective measures. Twenty-four participants took part in the experiments and viewed 3-D content with two different displays (flat and curved 3-D display) within a counterbalanced and within-subject design. For the 30-min viewing condition, a paired t-test showed significantly reduced P300 amplitudes, which were caused by engagement rather than cognitive fatigue, in the curved 3-D viewing condition compared to the flat 3-D viewing condition at P3 and P4. No significant differences in P300 amplitudes were observed for 60-min viewing. Subjective ratings of realness and engagement were also significantly higher in the curved 3-D viewing condition than in the flat 3-D viewing condition for 30-min viewing. Our findings support that curved 3-D displays can be effective for enhancing engagement among viewers based on specific viewing times and environments.

Affective three-dimensional brain–computer interface created using a prism array-based display

Abstract. To avoid the vergence-accommodation mismatch and provide a strong sense of presence to users, we applied a prism array-based display when presenting three-dimensional (3-D) objects. Emotional pictures were used as visual stimuli to increase the signal-to-noise ratios of steady-state visually evoked potentials (SSVEPs) because involuntarily motivated selective attention by affective mechanisms can enhance SSVEP amplitudes, thus producing increased interaction efficiency. Ten male and nine female participants voluntarily participated in our experiments. Participants were asked to control objects under three viewing conditions: two-dimension (2-D), stereoscopic 3-D, and prism. The participants performed each condition in a counter-balanced order. One-way repeated measures analysis of variance showed significant increases in the positive predictive values in the prism condition compared to the 2-D and 3-D conditions. Participants’ subjective ratings of realness and engagement were also significantly greater in the prism condition than in the 2-D and 3-D conditions, while the ratings for visual fatigue were significantly reduced in the prism condition than in the 3-D condition. The proposed methods are expected to enhance the sense of reality in 3-D space without causing critical visual fatigue. In addition, people who are especially susceptible to stereoscopic 3-D may be able to use the affective brain–computer interface.

Evaluation of Human Factors for the Next-Generation Displays: A Review of Subjective and Objective Measurement Methods

Objective: This study aimed to investigate important human factors that should be considered when developing ultra-high definition TVs by reviewing measurement methods and main characteristics of ultra-high definition displays. Background: Although much attention has been paid to high-definition displays, there have been few studies for systematically evaluating human factors. Method: In order to determine human factors to be considered in developing human-friendly displays, we reviewed subjective and objective measurement methods to figure out the current limitations and establish a guideline for developing human-centered ultra-high definition TVs. In doing so, pros and cons of both subjective and objective measurement methods for assessing humans factors were discussed and specific aspects of ultra-high definition displays were also investigated in the literature. Results: Hazardous effects such as visually-induced motion sickness, visual fatigue, and mental fatigue in the brain caused by undesirable TV viewing are induced by not only temporal decay of visual function but also cognitive load in processing sophisticated external information. There has been a growing evidence that individual differences in visual and cognitive ability to process external information can make contrary responses after exposing to the same viewing situation. A wide vision, ultra-high definition TVs provide, can has positive and negative influences on viewers depending on their individual characteristics. Conclusion: Integrated measurement methods capable of considering individual differences in human visual system are required to clearly determine potential effects of super-high vision displays with a wide view on humans. All of brainwaves, autonomic responses, eye functions, and psychological responses should be simultaneously examined and correlated. Application: The results obtained in this review are expected to be a guideline for determining optimized viewing factors of ultra-high definition displays and accelerating successful penetration of the next-generation displays into our daily life.

Evaluation of Viewing Experiences Induced by Curved 3D Display

As advanced display technology has been developed, much attention has been given to flexible panels. On top of that, with the momentum of the 3D era, stereoscopic 3D technique has been combined with the curved displays. However, despite the increased needs for 3D function in the curved displays, comparisons between curved and flat panel displays with 3D views have rarely been tested. Most of the previous studies have investigated their basic ergonomic aspects such as viewing posture and distance with only 2D views. It has generally been known that curved displays are more effective in enhancing involvement in specific content stories because field of views and distance from the eyes of viewers to both edges of the screen are more natural in curved displays than in flat panel ones. For flat panel displays, ocular torsions may occur when viewers try to move their eyes from the center to the edges of the screen to continuously capture rapidly moving 3D objects. This is due in part to differences in viewing distances from the center of the screen to eyes of viewers and from the edges of the screen to the eyes. Thus, this study compared S3D viewing experiences induced by a curved display with those of a flat panel display by evaluating significant subjective and objective measures.

SSVEP-based BCI for manipulating three-dimensional contents and devices

Brain Computer Interface (BCI) studies have been done to help people manipulate electronic devices in a 2D space but less has been done for a vigorous 3D environment. The purpose of this study was to investigate the possibility of applying Steady State Visual Evoked Potentials (SSVEPs) to a 3D LCD display. Eight subjects (4 females) ranging in age between 20 to 26 years old participated in the experiment. They performed simple navigation tasks on a simple 2D space and virtual environment with/without 3D flickers generated by a Flim-Type Patterned Retarder (FPR). The experiments were conducted in a counterbalanced order. The results showed that 3D stimuli enhanced BCI performance, but no significant effects were found due to the small number of subjects. Visual fatigue that might be evoked by 3D stimuli was negligible in this study. The proposed SSVEP BCI combined with 3D flickers can allow people to control home appliances and other equipment such as wheelchairs, prosthetics, and orthotics without encountering dangerous situations that may happen when using BCIs in real world. 3D stimuli-based SSVEP BCI would motivate people to use 3D displays and vitalize the 3D related industry due to its entertainment value and high performance.

Effects of mental workload on involuntary attention: A somatosensory ERP study

Abstract Previous psychophysiological assessments of mental workload have relied on the addition of visual or auditory stimuli. This study investigated the tactile ERP and EEG spectral power correlates of mental workload by relating limited‐capacity involuntary attention allocation to changes in late positive potential (LPP) amplitude, alpha, and theta powers. We examined whether mental workload (high‐level cognitive control) can be evaluated using somatosensory stimuli. Sixteen participants all performed three tasks of varying difficulty. Two dual n‐back tasks (n = 1 and 2) were used to investigate the degree to which mental workload affected the LPP amplitudes and EEG spectral powers evoked by ignoring salient tactile stimuli. In control trials, tactile vibrations were applied at random without dual n‐back tasks. Subjective mental workload of each task was rated using the NASA Task Load Index. LPP amplitudes at Pz were significantly smaller in the dual‐2‐back trials compared to control and dual‐1‐back trials. Significantly increased theta power at Fz and reduced alpha power at Pz were found in the dual‐2‐back condition compared to control and dual‐1‐back condition. There was no significant difference between control and dual‐1‐back trials. The same pattern was found for subjective ratings of cognitive workload. These results indicate that the dual‐2‐back task imposed a significantly greater mental workload, causing impaired cognitive‐control functions. Our findings support the notion that selective attention mechanisms necessary for effectively allocating and modulating attentional resources are temporarily impaired during the mentally overloaded state. HighlightsLate positive potentials (LPP) have been suggested to indicate mental workload.Mental workload affected LPP amplitudes evoked by salient ignored tactile stimuli.LPP amplitudes were reduced under more cognitively demanding conditions.Mental workload resulted in increase in theta power at Fz.Reduced alpha activity at Pz was associated with increasing mental workload.