Virtual Reality & Cybersickness

1. Virtual Reality & Cybersickness • Introduction • Cybersickness symptoms • Theories for the cause of cybersickness • Physical pathologies • Cybersickness effects • Preventive solutions • References

2. Introduction • Definition • Cybersickness has been described as a variant form of common motion sickness which has adverse effects upon the visual, neural, and psychological status.

3. Introduction • Importance • Industrial needs and economic reasons • Problems in research • Difficult to predict who will be adversely affected • No government regulations

4. Cybersickness symptoms • Disruption to perceptual and sensory-motor activities involving the vestibular system • Disorientation • Disequilibrium • Inappropriate vestibular-ocular reflex • Autonomic response • Drowsiness, Salivation, Sweating, and Vomiting • Signs (HR, BP , RR , hypothermia)

5. Theories for the cause of cybersickness • Computational lag theory • Lag between computation and display, incompatibility between the actual and expected visual input to NS • Vestibular-ocular incompatibility theory or sensory conflict theory • Difference between the ocular input and the vestibular input results in an nausea response by NS

6. Physical pathologies • Repetitive stress injury • Extended use and repeated movements (joystick or keyboard) • Functional disability (tendinitis and ligamentous injury)

7. Physical pathologies • Immersion injury • Any physical trauma occurring during VR use • So involved and engrossed in VR, Disoriented with their immediate surroundings • Attempt unsafe action with wearing a device (running or jumping)

8. Physical pathologies • Transmittable disease • Potential fomite to harbor pathogenic organisms • Used by multiple individuals • Airborne pathogens and skin flora on HMD or hand controllers • Streptococcus species, hemophilus influenza, and multiple viruses

9. Cybersickness effects • Visual effects • Nausea • Asthenopia (eyestrain) • Impact of electromagnetic fields (eyes)

10. Cybersickness effects • Neural effects • Impact of EMF on CNS • Cellular damage • Flicker vertigo • Seizure while a flickering light is observed • Brief loss of attention • Occurs on flicker frequency of 8 to 12 Hz

11. Cybersickness effects • Psychological effects • Develop a new personality in VR • Acrophobia or Claustrophobic • addicted • Residual aftereffects • Illusory sensations of climbing and turning • Perceived inversion of the visual field

12. Preventive solutions • Keep exposure duration short until your senses are accustomed to VR • Refrain from jerky or quick movements when first immersed • Allow enough time to readaptation in real world before do anything risk • Don’t sit down, active, interaction with new environment when readapted

13. Preventive solutions • Warning label on VR for children • Avoid poorly designed HMDs • Learn to properly adjust lenses • Avoid prolonged or excessive use of VR • Consult a physician if you experience prolonged dizziness or nausea

14. Preventive solutions • Drug therapy • Reduce vestibular output • Control nausea and individual training • Adverse side-effects on performance and reliability of the operator

15. References • http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~dccrow/uwaterloo/KIN_416.html • http://www.academic.marist.edu/papers/karin/virtual.html • http://www.I-med.com/mi/safety.html • http://www.oir.ucf.edu/pubrel/reportarchives/UCFReport03.08.96/cybersickness.html • http://ie.engr.ucf.edu/vr_research/synergy/sick.html