Stroboscopic effect

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Depending on the frequency of flash, the element appears motionless or rotating in reverse direction. Strobe 2.gif
Depending on the frequency of flash, the element appears motionless or rotating in reverse direction.

The stroboscopic effect is a visual phenomenon caused by aliasing that occurs when continuous rotational or other cyclic motion is represented by a series of short or instantaneous samples (as opposed to a continuous view) at a sampling rate close to the period of the motion. It accounts for the "wagon-wheel effect", so-called because in video, spoked wheels (such as on horse-drawn wagons) sometimes appear to be turning backwards.

Contents

A strobe fountain, a stream of water droplets falling at regular intervals lit with a strobe light, is an example of the stroboscopic effect being applied to a cyclic motion that is not rotational. When viewed under normal light, this is a normal water fountain. When viewed under a strobe light with its frequency tuned to the rate at which the droplets fall, the droplets appear to be suspended in mid-air. Adjusting the strobe frequency can make the droplets seemingly move slowly up or down.

Stroboscopic principles, and their ability to create an illusion of motion, underlie the theory behind animation, film, and other moving pictures.

Simon Stampfer, who coined the term in his 1833 patent application for his stroboscopische Scheiben (better known as the "phenakistiscope"), explained how the illusion of motion occurs when during unnoticed regular and very short interruptions of light, one figure gets replaced by a similar figure in a slightly different position. Any series of figures can thus be manipulated to show movements in any desired direction. [1]

Explanation

Consider the stroboscope as used in mechanical analysis. This may be a "strobe light" that is fired at an adjustable rate. For example, an object is rotating at 60 revolutions per second: if it is viewed with a series of short flashes at 60 times per second, each flash illuminates the object at the same position in its rotational cycle, so it appears that the object is stationary. Furthermore, at a frequency of 60 flashes per second, persistence of vision smooths out the sequence of flashes so that the perceived image is continuous.

If the same rotating object is viewed at 61 flashes per second, each flash will illuminate it at a slightly earlier part of its rotational cycle. Sixty-one flashes will occur before the object is seen in the same position again, and the series of images will be perceived as if it is rotating backwards once per second.

The same effect occurs if the object is viewed at 59 flashes per second, except that each flash illuminates it a little later in its rotational cycle and so, the object will seem to be rotating forwards.

The same could be applied at other frequencies like the 50 Hz characteristic of electric distribution grids of most of countries in the world.

In the case of motion pictures, action is captured as a rapid series of still images and the same stroboscopic effect can occur.

Audio conversion from light patterns

The stroboscopic effect also plays a role in audio playback. Compact discs rely on strobing reflections of the laser from the surface of the disc in order to be processed (it is also used for computer data). DVDs and Blu-ray Discs have similar functions.

The stroboscopic effect also plays a role for laser microphones.

Wagon-wheel effect

Propeller of a Bombardier Q400 taken with a digital camera showing the stroboscopic effect

Motion-picture cameras conventionally film at 24 frames per second. Although the wheels of a vehicle are not likely to be turning at 24 revolutions per second (as that would be extremely fast), suppose each wheel has 12 spokes and rotates at only two revolutions per second. Filmed at 24 frames per second, the spokes in each frame will appear in exactly the same position. Hence, the wheel will be perceived to be stationary. In fact, each photographically captured spoke in any one position will be a different actual spoke in each successive frame, but since the spokes are close to identical in shape and color, no difference will be perceived. Thus, as long as the number of times the wheel rotates per second is a factor of 24 and 12, the wheel will appear to be stationary.

If the wheel rotates a little more slowly than two revolutions per second, the position of the spokes is seen to fall a little further behind in each successive frame and therefore, the wheel will seem to be turning backwards.

Unwanted effects in common lighting

Stroboscopic effect is one of the particular temporal light artefacts. In common lighting applications, the stroboscopic effect is an unwanted effect which may become visible if a person is looking at a moving or rotating object which is illuminated by a time-modulated light source. The temporal light modulation may come from fluctuations of the light source itself or may be due to the application of certain dimming or light level regulation technologies. Another cause of light modulations may be lamps with unfiltered pulse-width modulation type external dimmers. Whether this is so may be tested with a rotating fidget spinner.

Effects

Various scientific committees have assessed the potential health, performance and safety-related aspects resulting from temporal light modulations (TLMs) including stroboscopic effect. [2] [3] [4] Adverse effects in common lighting application areas include annoyance, reduced task performance, visual fatigue and headache. The visibility aspects of stroboscopic effect are given in a technical note of CIE, see CIE TN 006:2016 [5] and in the thesis of Perz. [6] [7]

Stroboscopic effects may also lead to unsafe situations in workplaces with fast moving or rotating machinery. If the frequency of fast rotating machinery or moving parts coincides with the frequency, or multiples of the frequency, of the light modulation, the machinery can appear to be stationary, or to move with another speed, potentially leading to hazardous situations. Stroboscopic effects that become visible in rotating objects are also referred to as the wagon-wheel effect.

In general, undesired effects in the visual perception of a human observer induced by light intensity fluctuations are called Temporal Light Artefacts (TLAs). Further background and explanations on the different TLA phenomena including stroboscopic effect is given in a recorded webinar “Is it all just flicker?”. [8]

In some special applications, TLMs may also induce desired effects. For instance, a stroboscope is tool that produces short repetitive flashes of light that can be used for measurement of movement frequencies or for analysis or timing of moving objects. Also stroboscopic visual training (SVT) is a recent tool aimed at improving visual and perceptual performance of sporters by executing activities under conditions of modulated lighting or intermittent vision. [9]

Root causes

Light emitted from lighting equipment such as luminaires and lamps may vary in strength as function of time, either intentionally or unintentionally. Intentional light variations are applied for warning, signalling (e.g. traffic-light signalling, flashing aviation light signals), entertainment (like stage lighting) with the purpose that flicker is perceived by people. Generally, the light output of lighting equipment may also have residual unintentional light level modulations due to the lighting equipment technology in connection with the type of electrical mains connection. For example, lighting equipment connected to a single-phase mains supply will typically have residual TLMs of twice the mains frequency, either at 100 or 120 Hz (depending on country).

The magnitude, shape, periodicity and frequency of the TLMs will depend on many factors such as the type of light source, the electrical mains-supply frequency, the driver or ballast technology and type of light regulation technology applied (e.g. pulse-width modulation). If the modulation frequency is below the flicker fusion threshold and if the magnitude of the TLM exceeds a certain level, then such TLMs are perceived as flicker. Light modulations with modulation frequencies beyond the flicker fusion threshold are not directly perceived, but illusions in the form of stroboscopic effect may become visible (example see Figure 1).

Figure 1: Stroboscopic effect resulting from a moving screwdriver lit with a square-waveform modulated light source with a modulation frequency of 100 Hz, duty cycle of 50 % and 100 % modulation (SVM = 4,9); small photo inset shows absence of stroboscopic effect if screwdriver is not moved Photo4Wiki strobo effect screwdriver.jpg
Figure 1: Stroboscopic effect resulting from a moving screwdriver lit with a square-waveform modulated light source with a modulation frequency of 100 Hz, duty cycle of 50 % and 100 % modulation (SVM = 4,9); small photo inset shows absence of stroboscopic effect if screwdriver is not moved

LEDs do not intrinsically produce temporal modulations; they just reproduce the input current waveform very well, and any ripple in the current waveform is reproduced by a light ripple because LEDs have a fast response; therefore, compared to conventional lighting technologies (incandescent, fluorescent), for LED lighting more variety in the TLA properties is seen. Many types and topologies of LED driver circuits are applied; simpler electronics and limited or no buffer capacitors often result in larger residual current ripple and thus larger temporal light modulation.

Dimming technologies of either externally applied dimmers (incompatible dimmers) or internal light-level regulators may have additional impact on the level of stroboscopic effect; the level of temporal light modulation generally increases at lower light levels.

NOTE – The root cause temporal light modulation is often referred to as flicker. Also, stroboscopic effect is often referred to as flicker. Flicker is however a directly visible effect resulting from light modulations at relatively low modulation frequencies, typically below 80 Hz, whereas stroboscopic effect in common (residential) applications may become visible if light modulations are present with modulation frequencies, typically above 80 Hz.

Mitigation

Generally, undesirable stroboscopic effect can be avoided by reducing the level of TLMs.

Design of lighting equipment to reduce the TLMs of the light sources is typically a tradeoff for other product properties and generally increases cost and size, shortens lifetime or lowers energy efficiency.

For instance, to reduce the modulation in the current to drive LEDs, which also reduces the visibility of TLAs, a large storage capacitor, such as electrolytic capacitor, is required. However, use of such capacitors significantly shortens the lifetime of the LED, as they are found to have the highest failure rate among all components. Another solution to lower the visibility of TLAs is to increase the frequency of the driving current, however this decreases the efficiency of the system and it increases its overall size.

Visibility

Stroboscopic effect becomes visible if the modulation frequency of the TLM is in the range of 80 Hz to 2000 Hz and if the magnitude of the TLM exceeds a certain level. Other important factors that determine the visibility of TLMs as stroboscopic effect are:

Figure 2: Stroboscopic effect contrast threshold function (see Visibility) Figure 4Wiki contrast function.jpg
Figure 2: Stroboscopic effect contrast threshold function (see Visibility)

All observer-related influence quantities are stochastic parameters, because not all humans perceive the effect of same light ripple in the same way. That is why perception of stroboscopic effect is always expressed with a certain probability. For light levels encountered in common applications and for moderate speeds of movement of objects (connected to speeds that can be made by humans), an average sensitivity curve has been derived based on perception studies. [6] [10] The average sensitivity curve for sinusoidal modulated light waveforms, also called the stroboscopic effect contrast threshold function, as a function of frequency f is as follows:

The contrast threshold function is depicted in Figure 2. Stroboscopic effect becomes visible if the modulation frequency of the TLM is in the region between approximately 10 Hz to 2000 Hz and if the magnitude of the TLM exceeds a certain level. The contrast threshold function shows that at modulation frequencies near 100 Hz, stroboscopic effect will be visible at relatively low magnitudes of modulation. Although stroboscopic effect in theory is also visible in the frequency range below 100 Hz, in practice visibility of flicker will dominate over stroboscopic effect in the frequency range up to 60 Hz. Moreover, large magnitudes of intentional repetitive TLMs with frequencies below 100 Hz are unlikely to occur in practice because residual TLMs generally occur at modulation frequencies that are twice the mains frequency (100 Hz or 120 Hz).

Detailed explanations on the visibility of stroboscopic effect and other temporal light artefacts are also given in CIE TN 006:2016 [5] and in a recorded webinar “Is it all just flicker?”. [8]

Objective assessment of stroboscopic effect

Stroboscopic effect visibility meter

For objective assessment of stroboscopic effect the stroboscopic effect visibility measure (SVM) has been developed. [5] [6] [10]  The specification of the stroboscopic effect visibility meter and the test method for objective assessment of lighting equipment is published in IEC technical report IEC TR 63158. [11] SVM is calculated using the following summation formula:

where Cm is the relative amplitude of the m-th Fourier component (trigonometric Fourier series representation) of the relative illuminance (relative to the DC-level);

Tm is the stroboscopic effect contrast threshold function for visibility of stroboscopic effect of a sine wave at the frequency of the m-th Fourier component (see § Visibility). SVM can be used for objective assessment by a human observer of visible stroboscopic effects of temporal light modulation of lighting equipment in general indoor applications, with typical indoor light levels (> 100 lx) and with moderate movements of an observer or a nearby handled object (< 4 m/s). For assessing unwanted stroboscopic effects in other applications, such as the misperception of rapidly rotating or moving machinery in a workshop for example, other metrics and methods can be required or the assessment can be done by subjective testing (observation).

NOTE – Several alternative metrics such as modulation depth, flicker percentage or flicker index are being applied for specifying the stroboscopic effect performance of lighting equipment. None of these metrics are suitable to predict actual human perception because human perception is impacted by modulation depth, modulation frequency, wave shape and if applicable the duty cycle of the TLM.

Matlab toolbox

A Matlab stroboscopic effect visibility measure toolbox including a function for calculating SVM and some application examples are available on the Matlab Central via the Mathworks Community. [12]

Acceptance criterion

If the value of SVM equals one, the input modulation of the light waveform produces a stroboscopic effect that is just visible, i.e. at the visibility threshold. [5] This means that an average observer will be able to detect the artefact with a probability of 50%. If the value of the visibility measure is above unity, the effect has a probability of detection of more than 50%. If the value of the visibility measure is smaller than unity, the probability of detection is less than 50%. These visibility thresholds show the average detection of an average human observer in a population. This does not, however, guarantee acceptability. For some less critical applications, the acceptability level of an artefact might be well above the visibility threshold. For other applications, the acceptable levels might be below the visibility threshold. NEMA 77-2017 [13] amongst others gives guidance for acceptance criteria in different applications.

Figure 3: Generic setup to test lighting equipment for its stroboscopic effect performance Figure4Wiki strobo influence quantities.jpg
Figure 3: Generic setup to test lighting equipment for its stroboscopic effect performance

Test and measurement applications

A typical test setup for stroboscopic effect testing is shown in Figure 3. The stroboscopic effect visibility meter can be applied for different purposes (see IEC TR 63158 [11] ):

  • Measurement of the intrinsic stroboscopic-effect performance of lighting equipment when supplied with a stable mains voltage;
  • Testing the effect of light regulation of lighting equipment or the effect of an external dimmer (dimmer compatibility).

Publication of standards development organisations

  1. CIE TN 006:2016: introduces terms, definitions, methodologies and measures for quantification of TLAs including stroboscopic effect. [5]
  2. IEC TR 63158:2018: includes the stroboscopic effect visibility meter specification and verification method, and test procedures a.o. for dimmer compatibility. [11]
  3. NEMA 77-2017: [13] amongst others, flicker test Methods and guidance for acceptance criteria.

Dangers in workplaces

Stroboscopic effect may lead to unsafe situations in workplaces with fast moving or rotating machinery. If the frequency of fast rotating machinery or moving parts coincides with the frequency, or multiples of the frequency, of the light modulation, the machinery can appear to be stationary, or to move with another speed, potentially leading to hazardous situations.[ citation needed ]

Because of the illusion that the stroboscopic effect can give to moving machinery, it is advised that single-phase lighting is avoided. For example, a factory that is lit from a single-phase supply with basic lighting will have a flicker of 100 or 120 Hz (depending on country, 50 Hz x 2 in Europe, 60 Hz x 2 in US, double the nominal frequency), thus any machinery rotating at multiples of 50 or 60 Hz (3000–3600rpm) may appear to not be turning, increasing the risk of injury to an operator. Solutions include deploying the lighting over a full 3-phase supply, or by using high-frequency controllers that drive the lights at safer frequencies [14] or direct current lighting.[ citation needed ]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frequency</span> Number of occurrences or cycles per unit time

Frequency, measured in hertz, is the number of occurrences of a repeating event per unit of time. It is also occasionally referred to as temporal frequency for clarity and to distinguish it from spatial frequency. Ordinary frequency is related to angular frequency by a factor of 2π. The period is the interval of time between events, so the period is the reciprocal of the frequency: f = 1/T.

Frame rate is typically the frequency (rate) at which consecutive images (frames) are captured or displayed. This definition applies to film and video cameras, computer animation, and motion capture systems. In these contexts, frame rate may be used interchangeably with frame frequency and refresh rate, which are expressed in hertz. Additionally, in the context of computer graphics performance, FPS is the rate at which a system, particularly a GPU, is able to generate frames, and refresh rate is the frequency at which a display shows completed frames. In electronic camera specifications frame rate refers to the maximum possible rate frames could be captured, but in practice, other settings may reduce the actual frequency to a lower number than the frame rate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pulse-width modulation</span> Electric signal modulation technique used to reduce power load

Pulse-width modulation (PWM), also known as pulse-duration modulation (PDM) or pulse-length modulation (PLM), is a method of controlling the average power or amplitude delivered by an electrical signal. The average value of voltage fed to the load is controlled by switching the supply between 0 and 100% at a rate faster than it takes the load to change significantly. The longer the switch is on, the higher the total power supplied to the load. Along with maximum power point tracking (MPPT), it is one of the primary methods of controlling the output of solar panels to that which can be utilized by a battery. PWM is particularly suited for running inertial loads such as motors, which are not as easily affected by this discrete switching. The goal of PWM is to control a load; however, the PWM switching frequency must be selected carefully in order to smoothly do so.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Strobe light</span> Device producing regular flashes of light

A strobe light or stroboscopic lamp, commonly called a strobe, is a device used to produce regular flashes of light. It is one of a number of devices that can be used as a stroboscope. The word originated from the Ancient Greek στρόβος (stróbos), meaning "act of whirling".

SVM may refer to:

The flicker fusion threshold, also known as critical flicker frequency or flicker fusion rate, is the frequency at which a flickering light appears steady to the average human observer. It is concept studied in vision science, more specifically in the psychophysics of visual perception. A traditional term for "flicker fusion" is "persistence of vision", but this has also been used to describe positive afterimages or motion blur. Although flicker can be detected for many waveforms representing time-variant fluctuations of intensity, it is conventionally, and most easily, studied in terms of sinusoidal modulation of intensity.

Flicker is a visible change in brightness between cycles displayed on video displays. It applies to the refresh interval on cathode ray tube (CRT) televisions and computer monitors, as well as plasma computer displays and televisions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stroboscope</span> Instrument used to make a cyclically moving object appear to be slow-moving, or stationary

A stroboscope, also known as a strobe, is an instrument used to make a cyclically moving object appear to be slow-moving, or stationary. It consists of either a rotating disk with slots or holes or a lamp such as a flashtube which produces brief repetitive flashes of light. Usually, the rate of the stroboscope is adjustable to different frequencies. When a rotating or vibrating object is observed with the stroboscope at its vibration frequency, it appears stationary. Thus stroboscopes are also used to measure frequency.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wagon-wheel effect</span> Optical illusion

The wagon-wheel effect is an optical illusion in which a spoked wheel appears to rotate differently from its true rotation. The wheel can appear to rotate more slowly than the true rotation, it can appear stationary, or it can appear to rotate in the opposite direction from the true rotation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Electrical ballast</span> Device to limit the current in lamps

An electrical ballast is a device placed in series with a load to limit the amount of current in an electrical circuit.

Stroboscopic may refer to:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Electronic tuner</span> Device used to tune musical instruments

In music, an electronic tuner is a device that detects and displays the pitch of musical notes played on a musical instrument. "Pitch" is the perceived fundamental frequency of a musical note, which is typically measured in Hertz. Simple tuners indicate—typically with an analog needle or dial, LEDs, or an LCD screen—whether a pitch is lower, higher, or equal to the desired pitch. Since the early 2010s, software applications can turn a smartphone, tablet, or personal computer into a tuner. More complex and expensive tuners indicate pitch more precisely. Tuners vary in size from units that fit in a pocket to 19" rack-mount units. Instrument technicians and piano tuners typically use more expensive, accurate tuners.

Aviation obstruction lighting is used to enhance the visibility of structures or fixed obstacles which may conflict with the safe navigation of aircraft. Obstruction lighting is commonly installed on towers, buildings, and even fences located in areas where aircraft may be operating at low altitudes. In certain areas, some aviation regulators mandate the installation, operation, color, and/or status notification of obstruction lighting. For maximum visibility and collision-avoidance, these lighting systems commonly employ one or more high-intensity strobe or LED devices which can be seen by pilots from many miles away from the obstruction.

Ambiguity resolution is used to find the value of a measurement that requires modulo sampling.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phantom contour</span>

A phantom contour is a type of illusory contour. Most illusory contours are seen in still images, such as the Kanizsa triangle and the Ehrenstein illusion. A phantom contour, however, is perceived in the presence of moving or flickering images with contrast reversal. The rapid, continuous alternation between opposing, but correlated, adjacent images creates the perception of a contour that is not physically present in the still images. Quaid et al. have also authored a PhD thesis on the phantom contour illusion and its spatiotemporal limits which maps out limits and proposes mechanisms for its perception centering around magnocellularly driven visual area MT.

Temporal light effects (TLEs) is the general term for all possible effects resulting from temporal light modulations (TLMs).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Temporal light interference</span>

Temporal light interference (TLI) is an unacceptable degradation of the performance of an equipment or system that has an optical input for its intended functioning and is caused by a temporal light modulation disturbance. A temporal light modulation (TLM) disturbance may be either an intentional or unintentional temporal light modulation (TLM) of lighting equipment such as luminaires or lamps. Examples of equipment that can be interfered are barcode scanners, cameras and test equipment.

Temporal light artefacts (TLAs) are undesired effects in the visual perception of a human observer induced by temporal light modulations. Two well-known examples of such unwanted effects are flicker and stroboscopic effect. Flicker is a directly visible light modulation at relatively low frequencies and small intensity modulation levels. Stroboscopic effect may become visible for a person when a moving object is illuminated by modulated light at somewhat higher frequencies (>80 Hz) and larger intensity variations.

In visual perception, flicker is a human-visible change in luminance of an illuminated surface or light source which can be due to fluctuations of the light source itself, or due to external causes such as due to rapid fluctuations in the voltage of the power supply or incompatibility with an external dimmer.

Temporal light modulation (TLM) is defined by the International Commission on Illumination (CIE) as fluctuation in luminous quantity or spectral distribution of light with respect to time. The effect is typically connected to lighting products such as lamps and luminaires where the light is modulated in order to provide some functionality, such as dimming or color change. TLM can cause temporal light artifacts (TLA) such as the stroboscopic effect or phantom array effect. TLM has been linked to headache and migraine, and in rare cases epileptic seizures.

References

  1. ↑ Stampfer, Simon (1833). Die stroboscopischen Scheiben; oder, Optischen Zauberscheiben: Deren Theorie und wissenschaftliche anwendung, erklärt von dem Erfinder [The stroboscopic discs; or optical magic discs: Its theory and scientific application, explained by the inventor] (in German). Vienna and Leipzig: Trentsensky and Vieweg. p. 2.
  2. ↑ IEEE Std 1789:2015, IEEE Recommended Practices for Modulating Current in High-Brightness LEDs for Mitigating Health Risks to viewers. (link)
  3. ↑ SCENIHR (Scientific Committee on Emerging and Newly Identified Health Risks), Health effects of artificial light , 19 March 2012 ( ISBN   978-92-79-26314-9).
  4. ↑ SCHEER (EC Scientific Committee on Health, Environmental and Emerging Risks), Final Opinion on potential risks to human health of Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs), June 2018. (link).
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 CIE TN 006:2016, Visual Aspects of Time-Modulated Lighting Systems – Definitions and Measurement Models. (pdf)
  6. 1 2 3 M. Perz, Modelling visibility of temporal light artefacts, thesis Eindhoven University of Technology, 05/02/2019 ( ISBN   978-90-386-4681-7) [2]
  7. ↑ TU/e News, Stroboscopic visibility measure – understanding how people experience LED-light fluctuation, 01 February 2019.link
  8. 1 2 D. Sekulovski, Recording of webinar “Is it all just flicker?” (YouTube)
  9. ↑ Luke Wilkins, Carl Nelson, Simon Tweddle, Stroboscopic Visual Training: a Pilot Study with Three Elite Youth Football Goalkeepers, J Cogn Enhanc (2018) 2:3–11, DOI 10.1007/s41465-017-0038-z
  10. 1 2 MALGORZATA PERZ, DRAGAN SEKULOVSKI, INGRID VOGELS, AND INGRID HEYNDERICKX, Stroboscopic effect: contrast threshold function and dependence on illumination level, Vol. 35, No. 2 / February 2018 / Journal of the Optical Society of America A, pp. 309.
  11. 1 2 3 IEC TR 63158:2018 + COR 1, Equipment for general lighting purposes – Objective test method for stroboscopic effects of lighting equipment, 2018-03-19.
  12. ↑ Stroboscopic effect visibility measure toolbox Matlab Central.
  13. 1 2 NEMA 77-2017: Temporal Light Artifacts: Test Methods and Guidance for Acceptance Criteria.(link)
  14. ↑ Cronshaw, Geoff (Autumn 2008), "Section 559 luminaries and lighting installations: An overview", Wiring Matters, The IET (28): 4
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