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What is the radiation level of vr, is there potential long term health effects to using VR?

gluebag
Protege
anyone know or could point me at a document? Thanks
4 ACCEPTED SOLUTIONS

Accepted Solutions

RedRizla
Honored Visionary
I just read that LCD screens give of more then Oled, but don't the big lenses protect you from the screen in anycase?

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Anonymous
Not applicable
A health document wont be around for a while. This is something that is created over time and not normally release on new products because of "unknowns." 

Older CRT type televisions and monitors used to emit very low energy X-Rays, which are distantly related to Gamma radiation, but it only happened when they were switched on. Since the 1960s emissions of this type have been very strictly regulated but as far as I am aware it was never shown to be harmful. There are no measurable X-Ray emissions from plasma, LCD or OLED flat screen TVs, though like most electronic devices they do produce a wide spectrum of electromagnetic radiation. There’s an on-going debate over the health consequences of this type of non-ionising radiation, particularly with regards to mobile phones, but the general consensus is that TVs, at least as far as electromagnetic radiation is concerned, are harmless.

I would go as far as saying it's safer than your Phone just because it doesn't have the wireless bands that cell phones towers require and that is the most radiation part of the device.

Yes, the lenses would protect you a small amount, but at the end of the day - it'll be already in safe levels. The device also controls how much light is shown making it a control environment allowing your eyes to slowly adjust to the amount of light it receives as well. This blocks UV from coming into the device and causing the most damage to your eyes.

The only effect I know that might turn heads is the fact is it a stereo device. That be something you would want to keep away from your kids till around ages of 10-15+ as the eye is still changing. Another effect is the flicking of the light might cause eye strain. That's one reason to take breaks ever so often. Even thought the FPS is high enough we can't really "see" the different - our eyes and brain still can. 

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Anonymous
Not applicable
One thing that has caught the public fancy lately is 'High Energy Violet', or HEV light [edit] (this is visible blue/violet light which is less damaging than invisible ultraviolet light) [/edit], which can potentially be damaging to the eyes. Sunlight has lots of this. Flatscreen TVs, monitors and 'phone displays also give it off. Manufacturers of spectacles offer coatings to filter it out.
However, to put this in context;
  • There is evidence that the HEV light in sunlight (which, as we know, can be very intense especially near the equator or reflected off snow in more northerly latitudes) can, over many years, cause some damage to the eyes.
  • There is no evidence that the light given off by display devices (which is much less intense) causes any appreciable damage compared to heredity, exposure to sunlight, diet or other lifestyle factors. Such evidence may, eventually, come to light many decades from now, when there's a body of evidence that can be well established, but there's none now.
  • One study I read about shone very intense HEV light onto pig retinas and showed damage had occurred, but that doesn't necessarily translate to what happens to humans with reasonable levels of exposure.
  • A company in the UK which offers filter coatings on its glasses claimed in its advertising that this coating helped protect eyes from damage by HEV. The regulatory body in the UK (which among other things demands that any medical claims in adverts are backed up by evidence) reviewed the evidence this company put forward to support its claims, assessed independent evidence, and ordered the company to remove the claims from its advertising. This was essentially because the advertising overstated the risk (especially in relation to all the other risks which are fairly low and nobody much worries about), and because the coating on the glasses they were offering only blocked 30% of the HEV anyway.
I've put the info I've been able to find as fairly as I could. Personally I don't think it's worth worrying about, but Lens Lab will, in a shortish while, be selling inserts (either with blank glass or prescription lenses) that you can put in your headset to protect its lenses or avoid wearing spectacles using it, and they offer an HEV filter coating. For a price 😉

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kojack
MVP
MVP
If the screen worries you, you probably won't like the fact that the CV1 has a Bluetooth LE antenna next to your head too. 🙂
Author: Oculus Monitor,  Auto Oculus Touch,  Forum Dark Mode, Phantom Touch Remover,  X-Plane Fixer
Hardware: Threadripper 1950x, MSI Gaming Trio 2080TI, Asrock X399 Taich
Headsets: Wrap 1200VR, DK1, DK2, CV1, Rift-S, GearVR, Go, Quest, Quest 2, Reverb G2

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33 REPLIES 33

RedRizla
Honored Visionary
radiation levels? I haven't heard this one before. Link please!

gluebag
Protege
@lovethis all displays give off radiation, am hoping it is very low with vr due to the size of the thing..

RedRizla
Honored Visionary
I just read that LCD screens give of more then Oled, but don't the big lenses protect you from the screen in anycase?

Anonymous
Not applicable
A health document wont be around for a while. This is something that is created over time and not normally release on new products because of "unknowns." 

Older CRT type televisions and monitors used to emit very low energy X-Rays, which are distantly related to Gamma radiation, but it only happened when they were switched on. Since the 1960s emissions of this type have been very strictly regulated but as far as I am aware it was never shown to be harmful. There are no measurable X-Ray emissions from plasma, LCD or OLED flat screen TVs, though like most electronic devices they do produce a wide spectrum of electromagnetic radiation. There’s an on-going debate over the health consequences of this type of non-ionising radiation, particularly with regards to mobile phones, but the general consensus is that TVs, at least as far as electromagnetic radiation is concerned, are harmless.

I would go as far as saying it's safer than your Phone just because it doesn't have the wireless bands that cell phones towers require and that is the most radiation part of the device.

Yes, the lenses would protect you a small amount, but at the end of the day - it'll be already in safe levels. The device also controls how much light is shown making it a control environment allowing your eyes to slowly adjust to the amount of light it receives as well. This blocks UV from coming into the device and causing the most damage to your eyes.

The only effect I know that might turn heads is the fact is it a stereo device. That be something you would want to keep away from your kids till around ages of 10-15+ as the eye is still changing. Another effect is the flicking of the light might cause eye strain. That's one reason to take breaks ever so often. Even thought the FPS is high enough we can't really "see" the different - our eyes and brain still can. 

gluebag
Protege
Hope so bud, think thats what i am asking though Do the lenses block it.. Ill give you the answered achievement though :smile:

gluebag
Protege
@mradr thanks mate good quote...just dont fancy getting my brain over easy lol

Anonymous
Not applicable
One thing that has caught the public fancy lately is 'High Energy Violet', or HEV light [edit] (this is visible blue/violet light which is less damaging than invisible ultraviolet light) [/edit], which can potentially be damaging to the eyes. Sunlight has lots of this. Flatscreen TVs, monitors and 'phone displays also give it off. Manufacturers of spectacles offer coatings to filter it out.
However, to put this in context;
  • There is evidence that the HEV light in sunlight (which, as we know, can be very intense especially near the equator or reflected off snow in more northerly latitudes) can, over many years, cause some damage to the eyes.
  • There is no evidence that the light given off by display devices (which is much less intense) causes any appreciable damage compared to heredity, exposure to sunlight, diet or other lifestyle factors. Such evidence may, eventually, come to light many decades from now, when there's a body of evidence that can be well established, but there's none now.
  • One study I read about shone very intense HEV light onto pig retinas and showed damage had occurred, but that doesn't necessarily translate to what happens to humans with reasonable levels of exposure.
  • A company in the UK which offers filter coatings on its glasses claimed in its advertising that this coating helped protect eyes from damage by HEV. The regulatory body in the UK (which among other things demands that any medical claims in adverts are backed up by evidence) reviewed the evidence this company put forward to support its claims, assessed independent evidence, and ordered the company to remove the claims from its advertising. This was essentially because the advertising overstated the risk (especially in relation to all the other risks which are fairly low and nobody much worries about), and because the coating on the glasses they were offering only blocked 30% of the HEV anyway.
I've put the info I've been able to find as fairly as I could. Personally I don't think it's worth worrying about, but Lens Lab will, in a shortish while, be selling inserts (either with blank glass or prescription lenses) that you can put in your headset to protect its lenses or avoid wearing spectacles using it, and they offer an HEV filter coating. For a price 😉

gluebag
Protege
Thanks Andy, excellent post. Prescription inserts will be worth their weight in gold as i have bad eyesight and contact lenses dry quickly on me

kojack
MVP
MVP
If the screen worries you, you probably won't like the fact that the CV1 has a Bluetooth LE antenna next to your head too. 🙂
Author: Oculus Monitor,  Auto Oculus Touch,  Forum Dark Mode, Phantom Touch Remover,  X-Plane Fixer
Hardware: Threadripper 1950x, MSI Gaming Trio 2080TI, Asrock X399 Taich
Headsets: Wrap 1200VR, DK1, DK2, CV1, Rift-S, GearVR, Go, Quest, Quest 2, Reverb G2