Visually Induced Motion Sickness Symptoms Research Articles

Assessment of individual differences for aftereffect of viewing autostereoscopic 3D display

AbstractThe representation of images on autostereoscopic 3D display often suffers from visual fatigue induced by stereoscopic images (VFSI) and visually induced motion sickness (VIMS), deriving from conflict between accommodation and convergence and from mismatches between vestibule system and visual system of viewers, respectively. In this study, a subjective experiment was conducted to investigate the implications of age and gender on the visual discomfort when watching the 3D video clips with four levels of parallax on autostereoscopic 3D display. This study found that the age of observers significantly affected both VFSI and VIMS symptoms. The young observers reported more serious VFSI and VIMS symptoms than the middle and elderly, while the three age groups had significantly pairwise difference for VIMS symptoms. Although gender differences did not exist in the ratio of VFSI symptoms, females had significant higher VIMS scores than males. The effect of parallax on symptom scores varied with age and gender. The elderly and male observers could endure larger parallax when compared to other groups. Furthermore, considering viewing safety for observers, it is recommended to limit parallax to a threshold of 40′.

Emotions are associated with the genesis of visually induced motion sickness in virtual reality

Visually induced motion sickness (VIMS) is a well-known side effect of virtual reality (VR) immersion, with symptoms including nausea, disorientation, and oculomotor discomfort. Previous studies have shown that pleasant music, odor, and taste can mitigate VIMS symptomatology, but the mechanism by which this occurs remains unclear. We predicted that positive emotions influence the VIMS-reducing effects. To investigate this, we conducted an experimental study with 68 subjects divided into two groups. The groups were exposed to either positive or neutral emotions before and during the VIMS-provoking stimulus. Otherwise, they performed exactly the same task of estimating the time-to-contact while confronted with a VIMS-provoking moving starfield stimulation. Emotions were induced by means of pre-tested videos and with International Affective Picture System (IAPS) images embedded in the starfield simulation. We monitored emotion induction before, during, and after the simulation, using the Self-Assessment Manikin (SAM) valence and arousal scales. VIMS was assessed before and after exposure using the Simulator Sickness Questionnaire (SSQ) and during simulation using the Fast Motion Sickness Scale (FMS) and FMS-D for dizziness symptoms. VIMS symptomatology did not differ between groups, but valence and arousal were correlated with perceived VIMS symptoms. For instance, reported positive valence prior to VR exposure was found to be related to milder VIMS symptoms and, conversely, experienced symptoms during simulation were negatively related to subjects’ valence. This study sheds light on the complex and potentially bidirectional relationship of VIMS and emotions and provides starting points for further research on the use of positive emotions to prevent VIMS.

Optical see-through augmented reality can induce severe motion sickness

The aim was to investigate whether severe symptoms of visually induced motion sickness (VIMS) can occur in augmented reality (AR) optical see-through applications. VIMS has been extensively studied in virtual reality (VR), whereas it has received little attention in the context of AR technology, in which the real world is enhanced by virtual objects. AR optical see-through glasses are becoming increasingly popular as technology advances. Previous studies showed minor oculomotor symptoms of VIMS with the aforementioned technology. New applications with more dynamic simulations could alter previously observed symptom severity and patterns. In experiment 1, we exposed subjects to a traditional static AR application for pilot candidate training. In experiment 2, subjects completed tasks in a dynamic starfield simulation. We analyzed symptom profiles pre and post with the simulator sickness questionnaire (SSQ) and during exposure with the Fast Motion Sickness Scale (FMS). We also developed a new FMS-D that captures symptoms of dizziness during simulation. As expected, in experiment 1 we found low VIMS symptomatology with predominantly oculomotor symptoms. In experiment 2, on the other hand, we detected severe VIMS symptoms in some subjects, with disorientation (SSQ subscale) as the main symptom group. The present work demonstrates that VIMS can be of serious concern in modern AR applications. The FMS-D represents a new tool to measure symptoms of dizziness during exposure. VIMS symptoms need to be considered in the design and usage of future AR applications with dynamic virtual objects, e.g. for flight training or machine maintenance work.

Evaluating binaural beats as a therapeutic tool for intervening visually-induced motion sickness in virtual reality environments

Background: Visually-induced motion sickness (VISM) is an emerging problem in the application of virtual reality (VR) technology. Binaural beats are proven to be effective in reducing anxiety levels and enhancing pain management in VR environments. They may have the potential to be a remedy for symptoms of visually-induced motion sickness. Objective: To investigate whether binaural beats can effectively ease the symptoms of VIMS. Methods: Motion sickness susceptible individuals (n=35) were assigned to wear VR headsets and watch a 15-min VR video to evoke VIMS. Whenever motion sickness was self-reported by subjects, they were randomized into three groups receiving three types of intervention methods: Subjects in the experimental group listened to binaural beats; The control group was treated with beats of the same frequency at two soundtracks. And the blank group recovered without any sound played in the earphones. Subjects filled in the Simulator Sickness Questionnaires (SSQ) at three stages—before watching the VR video (baseline), during the watching experience (induction), and after watching (recovery). To increase the credibility, their physiological data were collected by a Biofeedback device during the whole process. Results: Participants’ subjective SSQ scores were analyzed, which did not reveal any significant difference between recovery and induction (p>0.05). The physiological data were following the result obtained from analyzing SSQ scores. Conclusion: The binaural beats did not show a significant effect of alleviating VISM.

Chewing gum reduces visually induced motion sickness

Visually induced motion sickness (VIMS) is a common side-effect of exposure to virtual reality (VR). Its unpleasant symptoms may limit the acceptance of VR technologies for training or clinical purposes. Mechanical stimulation of the mastoid and diverting attention to pleasant stimuli-like odors or music have been found to ameliorate VIMS. Chewing gum combines both in an easy-to-administer fashion and should thus be an effective countermeasure against VIMS. Our study investigated whether gustatory-motor stimulation by chewing gum leads to a reduction of VIMS symptoms. 77 subjects were assigned to three experimental groups (control, peppermint gum, and ginger gum) and completed a 15-min virtual helicopter flight, using a VR head-mounted display. Before and after VR exposure, we assessed VIMS with the Simulator Sickness Questionnaire (SSQ), and during the virtual flight once every minute with the Fast Motion Sickness Scale (FMS). Chewing gum (peppermint gum: M = 2.44, SD = 2.67; ginger gum: M = 2.57, SD = 3.30) reduced the peak FMS scores by 2.05 (SE = 0.76) points as compared with the control group (M = 4.56, SD = 3.52), p < 0.01, d = 0.65. Additionally, taste ratings correlated slightly negatively with both the SSQ and the peak FMS scores, suggesting that pleasant taste of the chewing gum is associated with less VIMS. Thus, chewing gum may be useful as an affordable, accepted, and easy-to-access way to mitigate VIMS in numerous applications like education or training. Possible mechanisms behind the effect are discussed.

Pattern of Body Sway While Viewing 3D Video Clips in Various Age Groups

These days, developments in graphical technology have resulted in an increase in the chance to view 3D video clips. Visually induced motion sickness (VIMS) has been widely reported as a negative result of viewing these clips. The onset of VIMS is explained by some hypotheses. However, the root causes of VIMS have not been elucidated yet, whereas dizziness and nausea are regarded as symptoms of VIMS. In this study, we focus on the difference in the pattern of body sway among age groups and examine whether the consistency between the background and the viewpoint motion depends on the severity of VIMS. This experiment was conducted with 116 subjects aged 15-89 years. They peripherally viewed a 3D video clip showing a sphere whose motion was consistent with their viewpoint (VC-I) and another 3D video clip of a sphere whose motion was inconsistent with their viewpoint (VC-II). Statokinesigrams (SKGs) were recorded with their eyes open and with their eyes closed for 60 s. The amount of sway was calculated from the SKGs. Results showed that for all age groups, sway values were significantly higher when viewing the 3D video clip (VC-II) than in the Pre. However, for the elderly, there was no significant difference between the sway values while viewing the VC-I and those in the Pre. Results suggest that VIMS might not occur in the elderly because of the deterioration of their visual function, such as visual acuity and accommodation, with advancing age.

Development of Visually Induced Motion Sickness Evaluation Index Using Gaze Data of Elderly People

The benefit of using a noncontact eye-tracking system is its low a burden on individuals for measuring biological signals. The goal of this study was to develop a visually induced motion sickness (VIMS) evaluation index using data collected with a noncontact eye-tracking system for driving simulator (DS) experiments. The participants included nine elderly people with visual and balance functions that did not interfere with their daily life. The gaze data of the participants were measured at rest-both before and after DS trials. The participants answered followed up the simulator sickness questionnaire (SSQ) before and after each trial. The participants were divided into two groups on the basis of their SSQ results. One group experienced VIMS during the DS trial (four people; average age, 79.0 years), whereas the other group did not experience it (five people; average age, 71.2 years). The results of VIMS symptoms were confirmed: data concerning the locus of eye-tracking were lengthened, the eye-tracking data were diffused. This experiment demonstrated the usefulness of sparse density as a quantification index based on eye-tracking data in the evaluation of VIMS. Regarding the application of the findings of this study, it is believed that it will be easier to detect VIMS symptoms induced by DS operations if the index can be used for an eye-tracking data-based evaluation of VIMS.

Examining potential effects of arousal, valence, and likability of music on visually induced motion sickness.

The present study investigated how valence, arousal, and subjective liking of music affect visually induced motion sickness (VIMS). VIMS is a common side effect when interacting with virtual environments, resulting in discomfort, dizziness, and/or nausea. Music has previously been shown to reduce VIMS, but the precise nature of this effect remains unknown. Eighty participants watched a video of a bicycle ride filmed from a first-person perspective. First, participants (n = 40) were randomly assigned to one of four groups that listened to pre-selected, classical music excerpts varying in valence and arousal (happy, peaceful, agitated, sad) while watching the video. Second, the level of subjective liking of music was maximized by asking participants to select their favourite music (n = 20), which was then played during the video. A control group (n = 20) watched the video without music. VIMS was measured using the Fast Motion Sickness Scale (FMS) and the Simulator Sickness Questionnaire (SSQ). No effects of valence or arousal on VIMS symptoms were found. Instead, we found that VIMS was significantly reduced when music liking was maximized: Participants who listened to their favourite music reported less VIMS compared to those who did not listen to music at all or to pre-selected music that they liked less. Music that is highly liked can, under certain circumstances, successfully reduce VIMS. These effects appear to be independent of the valence and arousal characteristics of the music.

A Pilot Study on EEG-Based Evaluation of Visually Induced Motion Sickness.

The most prominent problem in virtual reality (VR) technology is that users may experience motion sickness-like symptoms when they immerse into a VR environment. These symptoms are recognized as visually induced motion sickness (VIMS) or virtual reality motion sickness (VRMS). The objectives of this study were to investigate the association between the electroencephalogram (EEG) and subjectively rated VIMS level (VIMSL) and find the EEG markers for VIMS evaluation. In this study, a VR-based vehicle-driving simulator (VDS) was used to induce VIMS symptoms, and a wearable EEG device with four electrodes, the Muse, was used to collect EEG data of subjects. Our results suggest that individual tolerance, susceptibility, and recoverability to VIMS varied largely among subjects; the following markers were shown to be significantly different from no-VIMS and VIMS states (P < 0.05): (1) Means of gravity frequency (GF) for theta@FP1, alpha@TP9, alpha@FP2, alpha@TP10, and beta@FP1; (2) Standard deviation of GF for alpha@TP9, alpha@FP1, alpha@FP2, alpha@TP10, and alpha@(FP2-FP1); (3) Standard deviation of power spectral entropy (PSE) for FP1; (4) Means of Kolmogorov complexity (KC) for TP9, FP1, and FP2. These results also demonstrate that it is feasible to perform VIMS evaluation using an EEG device with a small number of electrodes.

The Effect of Retinal Eccentricity on Visually Induced Motion Sickness and Postural Control

The present study investigated the effect of retinal eccentricity on visually induced motion sickness (VIMS) and postural control. Participants wore a head-mounted display masked for the central 10° (peripheral vision), the peripheral except for the central 10° (central vision), or unmasked (control) to watch a highly immersive 3D virtual reality (VR) ride along China’s Great Wall. The Simulator Sickness Questionnaire was administered to assess VIMS symptoms before and after the VR exposure. In addition, postural sway data were collected via sensors attached to each participant’s head, torso, and hip. Results demonstrated that peripheral vision triggered the most severe symptoms of motion sickness, whereas full vision most perturbed posture. The latter finding contradicts previous research findings demonstrating the peripheral advantage of postural control. Although the source of compromised postural control under peripheral stimulation is not clear, the provocative nature of visual stimulation depicting a roller-coaster ride along a rugged path likely contributed to the contradictory findings. In contrast, motion sickness symptoms were least severe, and posture was most stable, under central vision. These findings provide empirical support for the tactic assumed by VR engineers who reduce the size of the field of view to ameliorate the symptoms of motion sickness.

EEG based time and frequency dynamics analysis of visually induced motion sickness (VIMS).

3D movies are attracting the viewers as they can see the objects flying out of the screen. However, many viewers have reported various problems which are usually faced after watching 3D movies. These problems include visual fatigue, eye strain, headaches, dizziness, blurred vision or collectively may be termed as visually induced motion sickness (VIMS). This research focuses on the comparison between 3D passive technology with a conventional 2D technology to find that whether 3D is causing trouble in the viewers or not. For this purpose, an experiment was designed in which participants were randomly assigned to watch 2D or a 3D movie. The movie was specially designed to induce VIMS. The movie was shown for the duration of 10 min to every participant. The electroencephalogram (EEG) data was recorded throughout the session. At the end of the session, participants rated their feelings using simulator sickness questionnaire (SSQ). The SSQ data was analyzed and the ratings of 2D and 3D participants were compared statistically by using a two tailed t test. From the SSQ results, it was found that participants watching 3D movies reported significantly higher symptoms of VIMS (p value <0.05). EEG data was analyzed by using MATLAB and topographic plots are created from the data. A significant difference has been observed in the frontal-theta power which increases with the passage of time in 2D condition while decreases with time in 3D condition. Also, a decrease in beta power has been found in the temporal lobe of 3D group. Therefore, it is concluded that there are negative effects of 3D movies causing significant changes in the brain activity in terms of band powers. This condition leads to produce symptoms of VIMS in the viewers.

Mitigating Visually Induced Motion Sickness

Virtual reality has grown rapidly over the past decade, yet visually induced motion sickness (VIMS), continues to affect the usability of this technology. Aside from medicine, physical hand-eye-coordination tasks have been found to be effective in mitigating symptoms of VIMS, however the need for equipment outside of virtual reality limits the usefulness of these mitigation techniques. In this study, 21 participants were sickened via a virtual obstacle course and used one of two mitigation techniques. The first, natural decay, is simply waiting outside the virtual environment (VE) for symptoms to subside; the other was a virtual peg-in-hole task, performed in the VE with a gamepad. A paired samples t-test confirmed that the virtual obstacle course induced VIMS. Both mitigation techniques significantly lessened the symptoms of VIMS, but there were no significant differences in the effectiveness of mitigation between the two techniques. A virtual mitigation method allowing continued immersion in a VE would pave the way for long-term immersion virtual reality studies, involving topics such as vigilance or training.

Effect of An Hour-Long Stereoscopic Film on Human Body

Three-dimensional (3D) television sets are available in the market and are becoming increasingly popular among consumers. However, viewing 3D films has potential adverse effects such as asthenopia and visually induced motion sickness (VIMS). The phenomenon of VIMS is not fully understood yet. One cause of VIMS has been considered to be sensory conflict, ie,, the disagreement between vergence and visual accommodation, while viewing a stereoscopic film. VIMS can be analyzed in subjective and physiological terms. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of viewing a long stereoscopic film on the human body. An electrocardiogram was obtained for subjects viewing an hour-long stereoscopic film. We also conducted stabilometric analysis for the subjects in the Romberg posture, flicker tests, and subjective questionnaires to detect fatigue and eye strain every 20 minutes. Statistical significance was observed for subjective averages of the test results obtained before exposure to the film and 40 minutes after the initiation of the measurement (p < 0.05). Symptoms of VIMS could be detected during the exposure to the hour-long 3D film. Based on this result, guidelines will be devised to ensure safety in viewing 3D movies.

Evaluation of temporal relationship between a physiological index and a subjective score using average mutual information

Recently, because of the ubiquitous popularization of home video cameras, countless people have had opportunities to watch video images captured by amateur cameramen. Because of this, concerns have arisen over potential negative impacts on viewer health, such as visually-induced motion sickness (VIMS). To determine the mechanism inducing VIMS and to establish a method of preventing it, it is necessary to understand which types of video scenes are associated with the onset of VIMS. Furthermore, while it is useful to consider viewer self-assessments while watching such scenes, physiological indices can provide even more information because they can be measured second-by-second in real time. However, there is not much knowledge regarding the temporal relationships between the severity of VIMS and its accompanying physiological conditions. In this study, the average mutual information was employed to determine the temporal relationship between subjective evaluation scores (a subject’s personal evaluation of his/her own condition) and various physiological indices present when people suffer from VIMS. Our analysis of experimental data found that changes in the two physiological indices, which were respiratory sinus arrhythmia and the maximum cross-correlation coefficient between heart rate and pulse transmission time, had a concordance rate of more than 60% with changes in the severity of VIMS symptoms experienced by test subjects. Furthermore, we determined that it may be possible to detect signs of impending VIMS prior to the development of symptoms by analyzing physiological indices.

A pilot application of a questionnaire to evaluate visually induced motion

Background : The increasing popularity of tri-dimensional (3D) movies has raised public concern and media interest about the safety of projected images for spectators. No specific instrument exists to assess the occurrence of visually induced motion sickness (VIMS) symptoms in 3D movie spectators in movie theaters. Methods : We developed a questionnaire containing 20 items divided into socio demographics, individual characteristics, movie vision characteristics and VIMS symptoms (during, right after, and at two hours from the viewing of the movie ). The questionnaire was self administered to 38 subjects, asking them to report time taken for its completion, comments and eventual difficulties in interpreting items. Results : Poor understanding or problems in identifying the correct item choice were noted for 4 questions belonging to the socio demographics section that were simplified in the final version of the questionnaire. Two other questions were merged into one after homogeneity analysis. Most VIMS symptoms were observed during the movie and quickly thereafter. Tired eyes was the symptom most often reported (39.5% of responders) followed by headache (18.4%), dizziness (18.4%) and nausea (15.8%). Double vision and palpitation were reported with very low frequency (respectively 5.3% and 2.3%) and vomit was not reported by any respondent. Homogeneity of symptom items was good (Cronbach alpha= 0.69). Reliability analysis showed satisfactory item-total correlations (alpha coefficient ranging from 0.61 to 0.73). Conclusions : The refined survey questionnaire can be applied in future studies to assess the frequency of VIMS symptoms in spectators of 3D movies and to identify the risk factors connected to inter-individual differences in susceptibility and to the characteristics of the movie viewing.

Reducing the Symptoms of Visually-Induced Motion Sickness: An Experimental Analysis

Overcoming motion sickness, correcting performance, and regaining normal perception in space may involve many of the same processes as adaptation to perceptual rearrangement in general. This study examined the effect of adaptation training in a form of self-propelled simulated rotary stimulation (SRS) on simulation sickness by inducing graded motion sickness through the systematic distortion of the relevant characteristics of a virtual reality (VR) and optokinetic rotating drum (OKN) devices. Twenty adults between the ages of 18 and 34 participated in this experiment. In the control condition, ten participants were required to complete only a single self-propelled rotation simulation (SRS) trial, and then use a head-tracked mounted VR device plus exposure to an OKN device. In the experimental condition, a group of 10 participants took part in a five-session study in which they were exposed to five trials of the SRS and to the VE and OKN rotating drum. Immediately following each task, all twenty participants from both groups were required to rate their level of dizziness. The results showed a significant main effect of adaptation training on both the VR and OKN rotating drum as reported by the dizziness ratings. These findings indicate that the difference in dizziness rates was markedly higher among the control group than the experimental group showing transfer of adaptation into both the VR and OKN rotating drum as a function of prior SRS exposure. These findings demonstrate the technical feasibility of developing a transfer of training technique or paradigm for the acquisition of adaptation from one condition that produces motion sickness to another different perceptual situation.