This research delves into the per­va­sive issue of cyber­sick­ness, a major hurdle to wide­spread VR adop­tion. By gath­er­ing insights from a diverse group of VR experts, we iden­tify the key fac­tors con­tribut­ing to motion sick­ness in vir­tual envi­ron­ments (aka cyber­sick­ness) and offer action­able strate­gies for devel­op­ers, con­tent cre­ators, and researchers to build more com­fort­able and acces­si­ble VR expe­ri­ences for everyone.

Cybersickness remains a sig­nif­i­cant bar­rier to the seam­less adop­tion, suc­cess, and enjoy­ment of vir­tual real­ity. This project addresses this chal­lenge by sys­tem­at­i­cally inves­ti­gat­ing the causes and trig­gers of cyber­sick­ness and explor­ing effec­tive mit­i­ga­tion strate­gies. Drawing on the col­lec­tive exper­tise of VR researchers, sea­soned con­tent cre­ators, and ded­i­cated gamers, this research pro­vides a com­pre­hen­sive overview of the cur­rent state of cybersickness.

The key insights from this project high­light the multi-faceted nature of cyber­sick­ness, iden­ti­fy­ing crit­i­cal fac­tors rang­ing from hard­ware lim­i­ta­tions and soft­ware design to indi­vid­ual user pre­dis­po­si­tions. The study reveals a con­sen­sus on best prac­tices for VR loco­mo­tion and inter­ac­tion design that can sig­nif­i­cantly reduce the like­li­hood of induc­ing cyber­sick­ness. Furthermore, the research pro­vides valu­able, experience-driven rec­om­men­da­tions for devel­op­ers and con­tent cre­ators on how to design and imple­ment VR expe­ri­ences that are not only engag­ing but also com­fort­able for a broad audi­ence. For VR users, this work pro­vides a deeper under­stand­ing of why they might expe­ri­ence cyber­sick­ness and what they can look for in VR appli­ca­tions to min­i­mize discomfort.

Ultimately, this project con­tributes to the broader research com­mu­nity by offer­ing a foun­da­tional under­stand­ing of cyber­sick­ness from a user-centered per­spec­tive. The insights and strate­gies out­lined in this research aim to empower devel­op­ers and researchers to create a future where vir­tual real­ity is a uni­ver­sally acces­si­ble and enjoy­able tech­nol­ogy, free from the nau­se­at­ing side effects of cybersickness.

See https://summit.sfu.ca/item/39286 for Allen Chen’s thesis that we’re in the process of writ­ing up for publication.

Publications