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Research paper−139−Synthesiology - English edition Vol.5 No.3 pp.139-149 (Dec. 2012) With the development of the recent image media technology, computerized systems have been introduced into the production of moving images. With the wide spread of small, high precision digital video cameras, the expression of moving images with dynamic and vigorous scenes can be created. Also, large, high-precision displays habe become available in homes, and people can enjoy viewing dynamic and realistic images. However, motions in such images may be perceived as physical motion information. Therefore, if no measures are taken, viewers may develop VIMS, and rapid measures are necessary.Recently, occurrences that are thought to be cases of VIMS have been reported in the news. For example, in July 2003 at a junior high school in the Shimane Prefecture, 36 of the 294 first grade students who were watching a video on a large screen at a lecture hall for their class developed sickness and were sent to a hospital for treatment.[3] The video image was shot by a hand-held camera, and the erratic movements that occurred frequently in the film are thought to have caused VIMS. A very similar case occurred in a school in the Mie Prefecture on November 2006.VIMS may have greater effect than originally considered. In general, the symptoms may cease in a relatively short time by stopping the viewing in case of relatively mild cases, while for some people and under some conditions, unbearable symptoms may continue for the whole day. Such symptoms may be dangerous depending on the work in which the 1 IntroductionVisually-induced motion sickness (VIMS) is a condition where the following symptoms occur when a person views a moving image that contains certain motions relatively frequently.[1] The symptoms include those of motion sickness (or so called travel sickness) such as dizziness, sweating, drowsiness, increased salivation, facial pallor, stomach awareness, nausea, and vomiting. While the innovative development of recent image media technology has dramatically advanced the possibilities of moving images, it also harbors the increased risk for the viewers who may suffer from VIMS, and quick measures must be taken.The leading theory for the cause of motion sickness is the sensory rearrangement theory[2] that proposes that the symptoms occur when the relationships among different kinds of sensory information, such as the visual and vestibular information pertaining to the body motion, differ from the ordinary situation of the body, and this discrepancy can be implicitly sensed as abnormality. A similar idea can be applied to VIMS. For example, the sickness may develop when the viewer is shown moving images as if the body is moving through space, though the actual body is static as one sits in the chair. More specifically, the sickness may be caused by the lack of vestibular perception caused by acceleration and the lack of tactile perception of the change in pressure from the contact with the chair surface, while the visual perception of body motion is presented.- Fermentation of a social understanding to supply secure and comfortable images through integration of researches on human characteristics, image analysis technique and image production technique-We have developed an evaluation system of moving images by estimating temporal variations of discomfort levels of visually induced motion sickness (VIMS) caused by the images. The system is useful for making image producers understand the importance of reducing the possibility of VIMS. This activity will provide an environment that allows people to use moving images at ease in a variety of fields, such as entertainment, education and medical services. The system was developed by the collaborative research of image analysis, image producing and measurements of biomedical effects to apply the basic characteristics of VIMS for evaluating general images.Developing an evaluation system of visually induced motion sickness for safe usage of moving imagesKeywords : Image safety, visually induced motion sickness, biomedical effects, moving image evaluation, moving image guideline[Translation from Synthesiology, Vol.3, No.3, p.180-189 (2010)]Hiroyasu UjikeHuman Technology Research Institute, AIST Tsukuba Central 6, 1-1-1 Higashi, Tsukuba 305-8566, Japan E-mail: Original manuscript received January 5, 2010, Revisions received June 1, 2010, Accepted June 2, 2010

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