Stroboscopic issues: an ergonomics perspective

To systematically investigate the stroboscopic effect - a critical subset of temporal light modulation (TLM) - from an ergonomics perspective, a bibliometric review was conducted using 4,343 publications indexed in the Web of Science and Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) (1990-2024). By mapping research clusters onto the human information processing (HIP) framework, this study reveals a maturing field undergoing a significant paradigm shift: moving from a methodological core of quantifying perceptual visibility to investigating systemic photobiological effects mediated by the ipRGC-SCN pathway. A socio-technical analysis further highlights divergent research trajectories, contrasting China's application-oriented focus on product compliance and engineering solutions with the West's mechanism-oriented emphasis on pathology and theoretical modelling. Additionally, a critical comparison of international standards exposes the tension between strict health protection and industrial feasibility. Finally, the study proposes operationalised future research designs, including longitudinal physiological validation and adaptive ergonomic interventions, to address these systemic challenges and optimise human-machine interaction.