The Stroboscopic Effect

The stroboscopic effect, also known as temporal aliasing, is a major issue with motion and animation in both interactive and passive virtual environments. It is also seen in meatspace, but only at much higher speeds, albeit for the same reason.

It is a kind of aliasing that occurs when what should be a continuous motion such as a wheel spinning, is instead divided into a series of frames per second, which are then sent to the eye. If the movement speed of the wheel is accidentally synced to the update frequency of the frames, then it appears to not be moving, even as the vehicle drives forwards, resulting in an extremely immersion breaking effect.

As an example, a carriage wheel is turning at 30 revolutions per second, and happens to be being displayed on a monitor that is updating at 30 fps. Every time the monitor updates the view, the wheel has performed one revolution, and is back in exactly the same place it was before. Hence, it appears to be perfectly still, whilst the cart is dragged along the ground.

A slightly worse variant occurs when the wheel is rotating at say, 29 revolutions per second, and the display frame rate is still 30 frames per second. In this instance, the wheel does not manage to complete a full revolution each frame, and actually appears to be moving in reverse.

Below, we offer a selection of links from our resource databases which may match this term.

Stroboscopic

Temporal Aliasing

The Stroboscopic Effect

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Imagination Eases Pain: Study Reinforces Effect Shown by VRs
A study has been performed on the use of imagination in children as a pain blocker. Whilst not directly connected with VR in pain relief itself, the results do serve to reinforce the position that diverting the child's attention elsewhere during a procedure, utterly diverting it and holding that diversion, is successful in removing the effect of pain.

Stroboscopic Memory Training
A method of training the brain through means of stroboscopics bears a striking resemblance to the basic technology underlying all VR display systems. Could VR really be used to enhance memory, even more efficiently than the physical world-based trials?

I 0Wn Y0u, d0Od! Part Deux
A detailed, in-depth look at why selling content from within MMOs, to others can damage the business on the company in question, by looking at the effect it has on the costs of the MMO.

Large Image Display: Animatrix: Beyond: Indoor, Cloudless Rain
Like most of the screens from Beyond, this one shows an effect of what happens when the laws of a virtual environment become too complex, and interactions go a little ca ca. In this case, a torrent of downpour, inside, on a sunny day.

Why Recoil at Unpleasant Noise Occurs
Nails on a blackboard. It is an unbearable noise, one that sends shivers through anyone who hears it. But why does it do this, and more importantly, how can a virtual environment replicate the effect in any sound?

It's the End of the World as we Know It
Dealing with disappointed players is one of the most important skills for a storyteller. No matter what you do, somebody will be disappointed with the result, and may leave, or worse. This short article covers several real example problems, and the steps that can be taken to lessen their effect.

VR Interfaces: Vivid Cyber Sex Suit

A mis-fire in the teledildonics industry, this early attempt at sexual stimulation in VR fell short after it was discovered it had a minor side effect - bodily secretions caused a lethal electrical discharge.

VR Interfaces: Fogscreen
Fogscreen is a holoprojection method that utilises a layer of artificially fogged air as a display screen for projected content. It in effect, creates a cascading curtain of wet air that can be walked through whilst displaying moving, bright, images.

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