What to Expect from Immersive Virtual Environment Exposure: Influences of Gender, Body Mass Index, and Past Experience

Abstract

For those interested in using head-coupled PC-based immersive virtual environment (VE) technology to train, entertain, or inform, it is essential to understand the effects this technology has on its users. This study investigated potential adverse effects, including the sickness associated with exposure and extreme responses (emesis, flashbacks). Participants were exposed to a VE for 15 to 60 min, with either complete or streamlined navigational control and simple or complex scenes, after which time measures of sickness were obtained. More than 80% of participants experienced nausea, oculomotor disturbances, and/or disorientation, with disorientation potentially lasting > 24 hr. Of the participants, 12.9% prematurely ended their exposure because of adverse effects; of these, 9.2% experienced an emetic response, whereas only 1.2% of all participants experienced emesis. The results indicate that designers may be able to reduce these rates by limiting exposure duration and reducing the degrees of freedom of the user's navigational control. Results from gender, body mass, and past experience comparisons indicated it may be possible to identify those who will experience adverse effects attributable to exposure and warn such individuals. Applications for this research include military, entertainment, and any other interactive systems for which designers seek to avoid adverse effects associated with exposure.

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“…Between 5% and 10% of simulator users experience no malaise the first time they use the simulator, and between 5% and 30% of users experience malaise so strong that they must terminate the simulation (Lawson et al, 2002;Mullen et al, 2010;Stanney, Hale, Nahmens, & Kennedy, 2003;Stanney & Salvendy, 1998;Straus, 2005). The vast majority of users thus experience some symptoms, of variable intensity, during their initial simulator session (Lawson et al, 2002;Stanney et al, 2003;Stanney & Salvendy, 1998).…”

“…The vast majority of users thus experience some symptoms, of variable intensity, during their initial simulator session (Lawson et al, 2002;Stanney et al, 2003;Stanney & Salvendy, 1998).…”

“…Nevertheless, some users of simulators have reported simulator-related symptoms up to 24 hours following their simulator session (LaViola Jr., 2000;Stanney et al, 2003;Stoner, Fisher, & Mollenhauer, 2011). This may be an issue if students begin their training day with a simulator session and have symptoms during the day.…”

“…In most individuals experiencing simulator sickness, symptoms increase over the course of a single session but decrease from one session to another (Domeyer, Cassavaugh, & Backs, 2013;Howarth & Hodder, 2008;Kennedy, Stanney, & Dunlap, 2000;Park et al, 2008;Stanney et al, 2003). Although the majority of trainees adapt to driving simulators, it appears that approximately 3% of the population is incapable of adapting to virtual environments (Howarth & Hodder, 2008).…”

Head-Mounted Displays for Clinical Virtual Reality Applications: Pitfalls in Understanding User Behavior while Using Technology

“…Studies to date using HMD-VR systems for rehabilitation in clinical populations are still limited and the efficacy of the method continues to be evaluated. 20 Researchers have acknowledged that additional exploration of HMD delivery is needed, [21][22][23] especially if VR will be used with clinical populations and if clinical decisions will be based on the measured VR outputs.…”