Videoecology

Videoecology

Videoecology (latin. video — to see, greek. οικος and λÏŒγος— ecology) is a field of knowledge about interactions of human and visual environment.

This term was introduced into practice in 1989 by Russian physiologist Vasiliy Filin.

Introduction

The problem of human ecology in many countries has taken on economic and social importance. At present that problem attracts the attention of scientists, public organizations and parliamentarians. However, when speaking about ecological problems they all mean polluted air and water, high noise and radiation without mentioning a very important ecological factor - constant visual environment and its condition. More over, it is considered that fresh air, clean water and quiet life are enough and we do not care for what we are looking at. With that approach the projects of urban environment, working places, designs of industrial and residential premises are often solved. Meanwhile scientific data testify to the fact that constant visual environment, rich in visual elements, greatly influences a human state, his visual organ, in particular, i.e. it effects as any other ecological factor of inhibited environment.

A new scientific trend about visual environment we called videoecology.

Videoecology is a field of knowledge about interactions of human and visual environment.

Saccade automaticity

A concept of saccade automaticity is a theoretical basis of videoecology.

Saccade automaticity is the ability of human eye-moving apparatus to make automatically eye movements in a definite rhythm when a person is awake under presence or absence of visual objects and during paradox sleep stage (Filin, 2002).

Saccades movements are governed by the central nervous system, the corresponding structures of which are able to generate automatic signals i.e. able to rhythmogenesis. Every person has his own pattern of saccades, determined by three parameters: interval between saccades, their amplitude and orientation. The largest number of saccades comes within 0.2-0.6 seconds, saccade amplitude varies in wide range from 2 ang.min up to 15 ang.deg; the saccades are practically oriented in all directions (to the right, to the left, up and down) but usually the most of them are concentrated in a horizontal plane. The parameters of saccades are modulated depending on external and internal conditions. For example: when fixing an immovable point, the amplitude is minimal (2-15 ang.min), on fixing in darkness in the absence of visual objects it increases in 2-3 times, under visual perception of the Homogeneous visual fields are those ones where visual details are either absent or their number is sharply reduced. In cities homogeneous visual fields are formed by butt blocks of buildings, fences, roofs, asphalt roads. The use of great planes, glasses, linoleum, plywood, plastics and the like also creates homogeneous visual fields. Under homogeneous fields the eye can not function properly as there is nothing to catch on after the regular saccade. As a result saccade amplitude sharply increases: it means that the eyes do not work efficiently and feel discomfort.

Aggressive visual fields

Aggressive fields are those ones consisting of a lot of identical elements evenly disposed on some surface.

Many-storied building with great number of windows just forms an aggressive visual field (many identical elements) where the eye can not determine the window it is looking on, as all the windows are similar. There is nothing like that in nature, where the eye "knows" exactly what it is looking at and on what element it is fixing now. Tiled walls, nets, lattices, corrugated aluminium, roofing slate, striped panels, brick walls, sidewalks paved with square tiles increase the quantity of aggressive fields in urban environment. Straight lines, right angles, static huge planes, poor colors also contribute to the "pollution" and create unfavorable visual environment in the places of human everyday life. The processes of urbanization according to data of the World Health Organization are leading steadily to the growth of mental diseases. English scientist A. Wilkins in his book "Visual Stress" (A.J. Wilkins, 1995) showed that aggressive visual fields could provoke an epileptic seizure. There are grounds to think that the greater amount of short-sighted persons in towns as compared with those in rural areas is connected with deteriorated visual environment in towns. Besides, aggressive visual environment provokes humans into aggression. The more aggressive fields the more criminal cases arise.

To prevent negative factors connected with universal deterioration of visual environment active actions of specialists in vision, psychologists, physicians, ecologists and of course, municipal authorities, should be taken. Videoecology must be a phenomenon of mass awareness. Expert examination of new projects for the purpose of videoecology should be made. A chart of visual city "pollution" should be developed. These measures will help to effectively solve the problems of town-planning and improve the habitat. Principles and methods of videoecology allow not spontaneously but deliberately form visual town environment completely in agreement with physiological norms of vision. Similar measures should be taken in formation of interiors of residential and industrial premises, transport, television studio, theater interiors and decorations.

Conclusions

#The fact of pollution of visual environment in human inhabitat: in towns, residential and industrial premises, in transport was stated. "Pollution" of visual environment arises due to homogeneous and aggressive visible fields as well as due to a great amount of straight lines, right angles and large planes.
#Unfavorable visual environment negatively effects a human and leads to the growth of mental diseases, increases the number of short-sighted people and makes worse the criminal situation.
#The science about visual environment as ecological factor is called videoecology.
#To prevent negative consequences of visual environment pollution joint active actions of ecologists, architects, designers, psychologists, physicians and municipal authorities are needed. Videoecology must become a phenomenon of mass awareness and be taught in all educational institutions.

Knowledge in the field of ecology creates necessary conditions for forming favorable visual environment complied with norms of vision in human habitat.

Literature

*Filin V.A. Looking at a city // Technicheskaya estetika 1989. â„– 9. P. 20-22 (in Russ.)
*Filin V.A. Videoecology. Good and bad for eye. Ðœ.: Ð¢Ð?SS-reklama. 1997. 312 p. (1 edition) (in Russ.)
*Filin V.A. Videoecology. Good and bad for eye. Moscow. TASS-advertising, 1998. 295 p. (in Engl.)
*Filin V.A. Videoecology. Good and bad for eye. Ðœ.: Ð¢Ð?SS-reklama. 2001. 312 p. (2 edition)(in Russ.)
*Filin V.A. Videoecology. Good and bad for eye. Ðœ.: Videoecology. 2006. 512 p. (3 edition) (in Russ.)
*Filin V.A. Visual environment of a city as an ecological factor// X Congress European Society of ophthalmology. Miliano. June 25-29. 1995
*Filin V.A., Sartakova E.V. Videoecology// Ophthalmic research. Journal for researchin clinicand experimental ophthalmology. Abstracts of EVER (European Association for Vision and Eye Research) October. 6-9 1999. Palma de Mallorca. Spain. Edit. L.Missoten.
*Wilkins A.J. Visual stress. Oxford; NewYork; Oxford University Press, 1995. 194p.
*Filin V.A. Appropriatness of saccadic activity of the apparatus of eyemicromovements // Author's abstract of disseratation. Ðœ.: 1987. 44 p. (in Russ.)
*Filin V.A. Automaticity of saccades. Ðœ.: MSU. 2002. 240 p. (in Russ.)
*Filin V.A., Filina T.F. Automaticity of saccades in babies during rapid sleep// Journal vysshey nervnoy deyatelnosti. Ðœ.: Nauka, 1989. V.39. Issue 4. P.603-608

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