Overview
ISO/TR 9241-393:2020 is a Technical Report in the ISO 9241 series (Ergonomics of human‑system interaction) that provides a structured literature review of visually induced motion sickness (VIMS) from electronic images. It summarizes scientific evidence on VIMS arising from flat panel displays, electronic projections and head‑mounted displays (HMDs). The report compiles definitions (VIMS, vection, global image motion, postural ataxia, etc.), theories, measurement approaches, and documented factors that influence VIMS-serving as a scientific basis for ergonomics, display design and human‑computer interaction work.
Key topics
The report organizes evidence across several technical areas:
- Theories of VIMS and perceptual mechanisms (e.g., vection, global image motion).
- Measurement of VIMS, including symptom descriptions and severity scaling.
- Effective factors that influence VIMS, grouped into:
- Visual image factors: role of visual motion, stereoscopy, spatial frequency and pattern, blur, chromaticity, prediction cues, combinations of motion axes and velocities.
- Visual environmental factors: image size in the visual field, perspective discrepancies, HMD time delays, exposure duration and repetition, lighting/colour changes, auditory and odour cues.
- Individual viewer factors: age, gender, active vs. passive viewing, fixation behavior and susceptibility variability.
- Susceptibility probability and scaling of VIMS severity, plus annexes summarizing symptom scaling and connections to image production.
Note: ISO/TR 9241-393 is a scientific summary (no normative requirements or prescriptive guidelines are included).
Practical applications
This Technical Report is useful for professionals aiming to reduce VIMS risk or to study its causes:
- VR/AR and HMD manufacturers - inform hardware latency, FOV and rendering quality targets.
- Display and multimedia system designers - guide choices on stereoscopy, motion content and image processing to minimize discomfort.
- Game, film and simulation producers - evaluate camera motion, scene design and editing practices that influence viewer sickness.
- Human factors/ergonomics researchers - use the literature synthesis and measurement approaches for study design.
- UX designers, occupational safety specialists and healthcare professionals - assess exposure risks in training, workplace or therapeutic contexts.
The report provides a scientific foundation to develop engineering controls, user testing protocols and future ergonomic guidelines for electronic image systems.
Related standards
- ISO 9241 series - ergonomics of human‑system interaction (see Annex A of the report for an overview).
- Use ISO/TR 9241-393 as scientific background when developing or applying ergonomic guidelines, test methods and safety criteria for displays and immersive systems.