Mitigation of VR Sickness During Locomotion With a Motion-Based Dynamic Vision Modulator

Area of Science:

• Computer Science
• Human-Computer Interaction
• Virtual Reality

Background:

• Virtual reality (VR) sickness remains a significant challenge, particularly during continuous locomotion.
• Current methods for mitigating VR sickness often involve static visual restrictions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a dynamic vision modulation algorithm to reduce VR sickness.
• To investigate the effectiveness of peripheral contrast modulation triggered by specific motion parameters.

Main Methods:

• A shader-based vision modulator was developed, dynamically altering peripheral contrast based on movement, color, and depth.
• The algorithm was triggered by motion parameters like acceleration, strafing, linear velocity, delta velocity, delta angle, and average view color.
• Two experiments were conducted comparing the dynamic modulator against baseline and pitch-black field-of-view restrictors, including a just-noticeable-sickness design.

Main Results:

• The dynamic modulation approach showed effectiveness in mitigating VR sickness symptoms.
• Comparison against baseline and static restrictors indicated advantages of the proposed dynamic method.
• The just-noticeable-sickness design proved useful for experiments with short washout periods.

Conclusions:

• Dynamic modulation of peripheral contrast is a promising technique for reducing VR sickness.
• The developed algorithm offers a more adaptive and potentially less intrusive solution compared to static methods.
• Further research can explore variations in modulation parameters and user feedback for enhanced VR experiences.