Are VR glasses tiring our eyes?
Technological advances are changing our perception of reality faster than ever and most innovations are welcomed with enthusiasm and approval. Virtual reality glasses, or VR (virtual reality) goggles, are currently one of the leading trends in the market of modern technology, but is it safe? The influence of VR glasses on our eyes is discussed by experts from the National Chamber of Opticians and Crafts.
When will I get my first VR glasses?
Technological development drives the market and results in a huge number of new solutions, but not all of them stay with us permanently. Sometimes what is termed innovation can only be a fashionable gadget for a short period of time. However, statistics and the involvement of global companies in the development of technologies based on virtual or mixed and augmented reality are unambiguous. In 2017, we are forecasting nearly 20 million VR devices on the market, and in 2018 this figure is expected to rise to 30 million – 15 of which will be based on our smartphones. Moreover, it is predicted that in 2018 there will be 171 million active users of VR technology in the world. The growing interest in VR technology is also influenced by the fact that the world’s largest companies, such as Facebook, are building a development strategy based on the technology. So even if you hear about virtual reality goggles for the first time, you’ll probably see a time when similar technologies will be an indispensable part of everyday life.
Only VR?
How does virtual reality work? The user wears special goggles on his or her head, in which he or she can see the image created by the computer or smartphone thanks to the display and lenses. The view can be generated by 3D graphics or film, and most importantly – with a much wider perspective than standard screen projections. Goggles also have built-in motion sensors, so that any change in the position of the head, and sometimes even the entire body, is recorded by the device, and the image with glasses is adjusted to our position. As a result, it creates the illusion of being in reality, which is shown to us by glasses and literally – we see this fragment of virtual reality, to which we will direct our eyes.
VR technology is great for entertainment: video games or 360° movies. Mixed reality technologies are a great opportunity for business solutions. We can see the reality around us through the glasses we wear on our eyes, but the glasses are overlaid with additional images, such as video conferencing, additional dialogs on our computer or notes. In fact, the possibilities are only blocked by creativity.
What about our eyes?
– Of course, VR glasses with classic glasses have a common name, because the device itself is better compared to a phone or a tablet than glasses from an optical perspective, optician and optometrist, expert of the National Crafts Chamber of Opticians and Design. – What is more, at present, the mobile phone manufacturers offer the functions of virtual reality – in the simplest solution it is enough to mount the phone in goggles based on a cardboard structure and two lenses with a focal length of 45 mm. Technology offers a great many opportunities, but we must already think about the possible consequences of its excessive use before it leaves the entertainment zone for good and takes root in our daily routines. The distance we use our mobile devices every day is already dangerous, and when the phone is right in front of our eyes, the danger is even greater. Throughout most of the evolutionary path one learnt to see a dahl in which there could be a threat or food (e.g. an animal or colourful fruit). Excessive “bombardment” of the eyes with intense light sources from close up, and in this case almost just before the eyeballs, may lead to a number of complications. Starting from those short-lived, such as eye fatigue, redness or tearing, to those whose consequences may manifest themselves in the future, such as the appearance or deepening of sight defects – he adds.
Additionally, it is worth noting that most modern electronic equipment has LED backlighting, optician and optometrist, expert of the National Crafts Chamber of Opticians and Design. – LED technology, which currently dominates the electronic equipment market, is characterized by low energy demand and long life. Unfortunately, such light sources emit a very large amount of blue violet light. This light carries with it energy which has a negative impact on the health of our retina. It certainly affects eye fatigue, but it can also accelerate the degeneration of photoreceptors of our retina, which are responsible for our vision. We can also conclude that in VR goggles we will repeat the tendency that we observe in smartphone users – forgetting about blinking. In normal cases