11 | The effect of rest frames on cybersickness

De Vries K, Smeets J, Bos J | VU Amsterdam & TNO, the Netherlands

Abstract

Cybersickness often occurs as a side effect when using virtual reality when the content suggests self-motion while being stationary, evoking symptoms similar to those of motion sickness. Static rest frame objects, either kept earth-fixed or head-fixed, have been said to alleviate cybersickness. To our knowledge, it is still unclear which fixation gives the most reduction. We conducted an experiment in a virtual environment capable of evoking symptoms gradually through the oscillation of the environment on the roll axis. Participants performed head movements during a task in a two-part experiment, applying either a head-fixed or earth-fixed rest frame in separate conditions. Throughout the experiment, we assessed the progression of symptoms for each participant. In addition, we sought feedback on which added rest frame they considered to be the most stable. The results indicated that cybersickness symptoms were similar whether using a head-fixed or earth-fixed rest frame. However, when evaluating the participants' perception of the stability of each rest frame, the one regarded as more stable was associated with a greater reduction in symptoms. Therefore, the addition of a rest frame is not a generalisable reduction technique but seems to be dependent on which frame an individual perceives as stationary. More research is required on the effectiveness of the rest frames on the reduction of cybersickness, considering its size, details in visual cues, and position (fore- or background) within the virtual environment.