Researchers find way to predict cybersickness

Washington D.C. [USA] Sep 27(ANI): Researchers have predicted who is likely to feel sick from virtual reality technology.
In a recent study, researchers at the University of Waterloo found they could predict whether an individual will experience cybersickness (motion sickness caused by virtual reality) by how much they sway in response to a moving visual field.
The researchers think that this knowledge would help them to develop counteractions to cybersickness.
Cybersickness involves nausea and discomfort that can last for hours after participating in virtual reality (VR) applications, which have become prevalent in gaming, skills training, and clinical rehabilitation.
Lead author of the paper, Seamas Weech said, "Despite decreased costs and significant benefits offered by VR, a large number of users are unable to use the technology for more than a brief period because it can make them feel sick."
He added, "Our results show that this is partly due to differences in how individuals use vision to control their balance. By refining our predictive model, we will be able to rapidly assess an individual's tolerance for virtual reality and tailor their experience accordingly."
In conducting their work, the researchers collected several sensorimotor measures, such as balance control and self-motion sensitivity, from 30 healthy participants aged 18 to 30.
The researchers then exposed the participants to VR with the aim of predicting the severity of motion sickness. Using a regression model, they significantly predicted how much cybersickness participants experienced after being exposed to a zero-gravity space simulator in VR.
Senior author Michael Barnett-Cowan said, "Knowing who might suffer from cybersickness, and why, allows us to develop targeted interventions to help reduce, or even prevent, the onset of symptoms."
The full findings appeared in the Journal of Neurophysiology. (ANI)