Dynamic Signs: Multiple Attributes Determining Visibility

Dynamic signs are an information presentation technology that changes the visual attributes of information displayed in public spaces in order to improve its visibility. With the development of new projector and display technologies, dynamic signs are already being put into practical use. However, it has not yet been established what kinds of signs should and should not be used. To ensure the continued development of dynamic signage as a new form of infrastructure, it is necessary to avoid unintended negative effects resulting from lack of systematic use. It is therefore important to accumulate ergonomic data that can be used toward the establishment of requirements for safe and easy-to-read dynamic signs. This study aims to elucidate visual requirements for signs that provide human traffic-flow guidance, which is one application of dynamic signage. The primary information provided by human traffic-flow guidance signs are the direction and distance to a destination. Herein, we consider the signage placement conditions and attributes required to convey this information, including interactions with aging effects. In this paper, we introduce the results from ergonomic experiments using immersive virtual reality that can be used as quantitative criteria for the visual design of dynamic signs.