Hey guys, someone posted this super interesting article on pwm_sensitive subreddit and I want to share it with you here also.
News article: https://www.theguardian.com/science/2024/apr/01/keep-winning-tennis-you-may-see-more-images-per-second
Research article: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0298007
I've loaded this article to chatgpt 4 to ask if this could lead to PWM sensitivity or any other flickering, here is the answer:
Yes, visual temporal resolution, as discussed in the context of Critical Flicker Fusion (CFF) thresholds in the article, can be related to Pulse-Width Modulation (PWM) sensitivity on displays. PWM is a technique used to control brightness in LED monitors by rapidly turning the backlight on and off. This flickering happens at a frequency that is usually imperceptible to the human eye. However, the sensitivity to this flicker varies among individuals, and some people may perceive flicker or experience discomfort, eye strain, or headaches at frequencies that others do not notice. This is closely related to an individual's CFF threshold—the rate at which a flickering light is perceived as steady—which varies between individuals.
The article detailed an investigation into individual differences in CFF thresholds among healthy human participants. It highlighted significant individual variability in these thresholds, suggesting that while some individuals can perceive flicker at higher frequencies, others cannot. This variability in visual temporal resolution could explain why some people are more sensitive to PWM flickering on displays. Those with a lower CFF threshold may be more likely to detect the flickering of the backlight at typical PWM frequencies, leading to the discomfort and visual strain associated with PWM sensitivity.
Moreover, the study found that CFF thresholds might be more variable in females than in males, suggesting a potential sex difference in PWM sensitivity, although further research would be needed to explore this relationship directly. Understanding individual differences in visual temporal resolution can inform the design of display technologies to minimize discomfort for users with higher sensitivity to flicker.
Also asked claude.ai, here is the response:
Yes, an individual's visual temporal resolution, as measured by their critical flicker fusion (CFF) threshold, could potentially relate to their sensitivity to PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) on displays.
PWM is a technique used to control the brightness of LEDs in many digital displays. It involves rapidly switching the LEDs on and off at a high frequency. If the PWM frequency is lower than an individual's CFF threshold, they may perceive flickering or strobing of the display, which can cause eye strain and discomfort.
The study found considerable individual differences in CFF thresholds, with a 95% prediction interval of about 21 Hz. This suggests that some individuals might be more sensitive to display flickering caused by low PWM frequencies than others.
However, the study did not directly investigate the relationship between CFF thresholds and PWM sensitivity on displays. To confirm this link, further research would be needed to assess how individual variations in CFF thresholds relate to the perception of flicker on displays with different PWM frequencies.
Nonetheless, the individual variations in visual temporal resolution highlighted in this study provide a plausible basis for why some people might be more sensitive to flicker on PWM displays than others.
Let's discuss it here, very interesting.