Effects of participating in virtual environmentsa review of current knowledge

Abstract

The rapid develoment of Virtual Reality (VR) systems and their increasingly widespread application have increased concerns in some quarters for the health and safety of VR participants. In particular there have been a number of speculative reports of many different types of side effect, but with little if any scientific evidence. Any side effects might be related to the very nature of VR technology, its technical characteristics, the type of virtual environment experienced or factors of the participant; it is certain that we cannot identify causitive mechanisms for any side effects without thorough understanding of VR technology and mode of operation. Moreover, there is no agreement as yet on a suitable bank of reliable, valid and robust test methods and criteria to assess any side effects of VR participation or the consequences of these. This paper explores these issues with reference to published research and a current research programme funded by the UK Health and Safety Executive.