Motion sickness and proprioceptive aftereffects following virtual environment exposure

    Authors

    K. M. Stanney; R. S. Kennedy; J. M. Drexler;D. L. Harm

    Comments

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    Abbreviated Journal Title

    Appl. Ergon.

    Keywords

    CORIOLIS-FORCE PERTURBATIONS; SIMULATOR SICKNESS; FLIGHT SIMULATORS; TRANSFORMATIONS; ADAPTATION; MOVEMENTS; REALITY; TARGETS; ARM; Engineering, Industrial; Ergonomics; Psychology, Applied

    Abstract

    To study the potential aftereffects of virtual environments (VE), tests of visually guided behavior and felt limb position (pointing with eyes open and closed) along with self-reports of motion sickness-like discomfort were administered before and after 30 min exposure of 34 subjects. When post- discomfort was compared to a pre-baseline, the participants reported more sickness afterward (p < 0.03). The change in felt limb position resulted in subjects pointing higher (p < 0.038) and slightly to the left, although the latter difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.08). When findings from a second study using a different VE system were compared, they essentially replicated the results of the first study with higher sickness afterward (p < 0.001) and post- pointing errors were also up (p < 0.001) and to the left (p < 0.001). While alternative explanations (e.g. learning, fatigue, boredom, habituation, etc.) of these outcomes cannot be ruled out, the consistency of the post- effects on felt limb position changes in the two VE implies that these recalibrations may linger once interaction with the VE has concluded, rendering users potentially physiologically maladapted for the real world when they return. This suggests there may be safety concerns following VE exposures until pre-exposure functioning has been regained. The results of this study emphasize the need for developing and using objective measures of post-VE exposure aftereffects in order to systematically determine under what conditions these effects may occur. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

    Journal Title

    Applied Ergonomics

    Volume

    30

    Issue/Number

    1

    Publication Date

    1-1-1999

    Document Type

    Article

    Language

    English

    First Page

    27

    Last Page

    38

    WOS Identifier

    WOS:000078665700004

    ISSN

    0003-6870

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