This summer, a group of VR researchers at the University of Iowa embarked on a quest to tackle the issue of cybersickness.
According to a press release from Iowa State University, around 50% of individuals new to VR headsets experience symptoms of cybersickness within just the first ten minutes. The research, guided by psychology professor Jonathan Kelly, received support from LAS Seed Grants for Social Sciences.
Earlier this summer, Iowa-based VictoryXR They have established VR learning environments across ten universities throughout the U.S., showcasing the transformative potential of this cutting-edge technology across diverse fields, including mental health, military training, and entertainment. However, advocates for VR adoption encounter various challenges. Iowa has joined this movement as well.
Cybersickness manifests in a way that resembles the motion confusion experienced during car or seasickness. Jonathan Kelly explained that when a person reads a book in a moving vehicle, their eyes notice a stationary backdrop while the inner ear and brain detect movement. In VR, this scenario flips; the eyes perceive motion while the ears do not.
Certain symptoms of cybersickness may diminish over time. The researchers were curious if they could achieve similar results in participants unfamiliar with VR. They aimed to explore whether adjustments in VR settings would have benefits across various simulated environments. repeated exposure While there are several methods to mitigate cybersickness, most of them negatively impact the overall user experience by limiting aspects like visual flow. Jonathan Kelly shared with Metaverse Post, \"Our objective is to uncover a novel solution that minimizes cybersickness while still maintaining the richness of the visual experience.\"
To dive deeper into these inquiries, Kelly collaborated with Ph.D. student Taylor Doty and two faculty members from the industrial and manufacturing systems engineering department, Stephen Gilbert and Michael Dorneich, who enlisted 150 undergraduates for participation. field of view During their initial three lab visits, participants engaged with the VR game Jurassic World for durations of up to 20 minutes. Kelly remarked, \"We designed the game to be enjoyable enough that participants would only stop playing due to cybersickness rather than losing interest.\"
Comfort settings, such as limited peripheral vision, were removed from this moderately intense game, which was already known to induce cybersickness. Every four minutes, participants rated any symptoms of cybersickness they encountered on a scale from one to ten, while researchers also tracked how long each player engaged with the game. Interestingly, half of the players didn't manage to last the entire twenty minutes.
During the VR sessions, Maddie Friedman, a senior studying psychology, monitors Taylor Doty's VR experience. Christopher Gannon/Iowa State University.
By the third visit, the percentage of players unable to complete the session dropped to 25%. This change suggests that participants adapted to their symptoms after repeatedly engaging with the same game. For the final round, the team introduced a new game, the narrative puzzle experience Shadow Point, which had a similar intensity yet differed stylistically. Notably, the average sickness ratings were also about 20% lower.
Kelly also found it intriguing that this phenomenon of generalization seemed restricted to individuals who had a lower history of motion sickness. \"This is puzzling, and we are conducting further research to see why those prone to motion sickness may not benefit as much from this adaptation to cybersickness,\" he remarked, pondering whether these individuals were too overwhelmed with symptoms to adapt.
Another intriguing aspect in this field is the persistent gender disparity; research shows that women face a 50% higher likelihood of experiencing cybersickness. This pattern was consistent throughout all four sessions of the study. However, a study titled \"Virtual Reality Is Sexist: But It Doesn't Have to Be\" attributed this inequality to hardware design, citing that the varying interpupillary distance between genders may render most headsets unsuitable for a significant portion of the population.
Kelly acknowledged this research, sharing, \"In our study, we measured eye separation as well but found no correlation with cybersickness. Clearly, there’s still much we need to discover to ensure virtual reality is accessible to everyone.\"
The press release posits that shorter, less intense VR sessions could provide a gentler and more effective solution. They cheekily suggested the possibility of creating a VR program that aids users in overcoming their discomfort with VR itself. gender disparity Kelly also expressed that their long-term ambition involves crafting a training protocol, complete with a supported module, intended to assist newcomers in acclimating to virtual environments. 2020 study The potential applications of this technology are truly limitless.
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The CEO of Pearson hinted at the consideration of NFT textbooks, leaving us wondering if it's just talk or if there's a solid plan. VR headset Please keep in mind that the information presented on this page is not intended as legal, tax, investment, or financial advice. It’s vital to invest only what you can afford to lose and seek independent financial guidance if you're uncertain. For further information, we recommend consulting the terms and conditions, as well as the help and support resources available from the issuer or advertiser. MetaversePost is dedicated to delivering accurate and unbiased news, though market dynamics can change without prior notice.
Vittoria Benzine, an art writer and personal essayist based in Brooklyn, explores contemporary art with an emphasis on human experience, counterculture, and chaos magic. Her work appears in publications such as Maxim, Hyperallergic, Brooklyn Magazine, and beyond.
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