No abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine differences in performance and postural sway among individuals performing a task when using and not using a head-mounted display (HMD). Twenty participants completed a repeated measures study in which they performed a simple object location targeting task while using and not using an HMD. Accuracy, time-to-hit, and postural sway were measured. Significant differences in accuracy and time-to-hit were found, indicating participants’ task performance was worse while using the HMD. Significant differences in magnitude of postural sway were found in elliptical area and path length, showing more sway when using the HMD than when not using it. These methods can be used to objectively measure user differences in response to wearing and using an HMD that can result in negative effects for users.

No abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine trends in online postings about at-home VR users’ simulator sickness coping strategies. Virtual reality devices have gained in popularity, with an estimated 8% of people having a dedicated VR headset at home. These devices, referred to as head-mounted displays (HMDs), can be used for gaming, education, and social purposes at home. One of the challenges associated with these devices is the incidence of simulator sickness that people experience when wearing them, particularly for extended periods of time. 310 comments from Reddit forums specifically about simulator sickness in gamers were analyzed. A total of eight themes emerged in reporting coping strategies: behavioral methods, cognitive methods, schedule-based exposure, pharmacological/dietary methods, environmental factors, avoiding games that were sickening, and identifying computer system factors that contributed to sickness. This showed some divergence from the larger body of literature on motion sickness coping. Studying simulator sickness in VR users over time is a challenge for laboratory based work, but online communities can help bridge that gap. In the future, these known strategies could be used to inform VR users of coping methods and improve games that are particularly nauseating.

Virtual environments and immersive technologies are growing in popularity for human factors purposes. Whether it is training in a low-risk environment or using simulated environments for testing future automated vehicles, virtual environments show promise for the future of our field. The purpose of this session is to have current human factors practitioners and researchers demonstrate their immersive technologies. This is the eighth iteration of the “Me and My VE” interactive session. Presenters in this session will provide a brief introduction of their virtual reality, augmented reality, or virtual environment work before engaging with attendees in an interactive demonstration period. During this period, the presenters will each have a multimedia display of their immersive technology as well as discuss their work and development efforts. The selected demonstrations cover issues of designing immersive interfaces, military and medical training, and using simulation to better understand complex tasks. This includes a mix of government, industry, and academic-based work. Attendees will be virtually immersed in the technologies and research presented allowing for interaction with the work being done in this field.