Presentation
Sickness Imminent: How Mental Models of Imminent Motion Affect the Onset of Cybersickness in Virtual Reality Locomotion
DescriptionThe primary limiting factor in the use of unbounded virtual reality is the onset of visually induced motion sickness (VIMS) when a user attempts to move in virtual reality (VR). This movement in VR is known as locomotion, and motion sickness in the context of virtual reality is known as cybersickness.
This human subjects study evaluated how the manner in which upcoming motion is communicated in VR environments has an effect on the development of cybersickness. Motion sickness that is experienced in daily life, from riding cars or planes, has been attributed to the body feeling that it is moving while other senses, such as sight, do not register the typical response of movement. In virtual reality, only the visual channel is typically used to convey movement in an environment, while the vestibular system and other systems do not receive corresponding input. Describing the movement that the user is about to experience may, in theory, allow the body to anticipate the motion in the virtual environment, reducing cybersickness.
By understanding how a user's mental model of imminent motion affects the experience of cybersickness, we can further refine the design space around which virtual reality locomotion is performed. This study is part of a larger body of work in which different design factors are explored in the creation of cybersickness-free locomotion. There are many benefits to these works, with the overarching goal being to contribute to the creation of a locomotion system inside VR that prevents the onset of cybersickness. With that goal, the exploration and deeper understanding of cybersickness can also be used to help mitigate the effects of motion sickness experienced in other common contexts, such as in passenger vehicles.
This human subjects study evaluated how the manner in which upcoming motion is communicated in VR environments has an effect on the development of cybersickness. Motion sickness that is experienced in daily life, from riding cars or planes, has been attributed to the body feeling that it is moving while other senses, such as sight, do not register the typical response of movement. In virtual reality, only the visual channel is typically used to convey movement in an environment, while the vestibular system and other systems do not receive corresponding input. Describing the movement that the user is about to experience may, in theory, allow the body to anticipate the motion in the virtual environment, reducing cybersickness.
By understanding how a user's mental model of imminent motion affects the experience of cybersickness, we can further refine the design space around which virtual reality locomotion is performed. This study is part of a larger body of work in which different design factors are explored in the creation of cybersickness-free locomotion. There are many benefits to these works, with the overarching goal being to contribute to the creation of a locomotion system inside VR that prevents the onset of cybersickness. With that goal, the exploration and deeper understanding of cybersickness can also be used to help mitigate the effects of motion sickness experienced in other common contexts, such as in passenger vehicles.
Event Type
Lecture
TimeThursday, September 12th4:15pm - 4:44pm MST
LocationFLW Salon A
Extended Reality