Stroboscopic Effect Hazards in Sports Venue Lighting

Stroboscopic Effect Hazards in Sports Venue Lighting

In sports lighting, unstable light energy output from stadium lamps can cause flickering and stroboscopic effects, creating visual hazards for athletes.

1. Manifestation of Stroboscopic Effects

When the movement frequency of fast-moving objects (e.g., badminton, table tennis, basketball, volleyball) synchronizes with the flicker frequency of stadium lighting, stroboscopic effects occur. This phenomenon distorts players' perception of ball trajectories, causing:

• Illusory speed variations (appearing slower/faster than actual)

• Multiple ghost images ("re-shadowing")

• Motion blur ("trailing effects")
  These visual distortions lead to misjudgment of ball position and timing errors during play.

2. Key Photometric Parameters Affecting Stroboscopic Severity

Current limitations in lamp technology mean many sports venues (table tennis halls, badminton courts, basketball/volleyball arenas) exhibit varying degrees of stroboscopic effects. These effects result from unstable light energy fluctuations perceived by the human visual system.

Research identifies three primary photometric factors influencing stroboscopic severity:

1. Illuminance levels (lux)

2. Flicker characteristics:

   • Flicker frequency (Hz)

   • Flicker depth (%)

3. Lighting uniformity

Among these, flicker frequency and flicker depth are the dominant determinants. However, field studies demonstrate that when frequency and depth remain constant, stroboscopic effects can be mitigated by:

• Increasing overall illuminance

• Improving spatial uniformity

• Enhancing color rendering properties