Guy CamposVirtual reality software makes some people feel ill for up to
eight hours after use, according to the latest research.
The Health & Safety Executive is warning employers that the
worst cases of nausea are felt by people with a history of migraine
headaches.
Researchers at Notting-ham University tested the effects of a
virtual reality health and safety training course on 221 people.
When the experimental subjects were visually immersed in a virtual
factory full of health hazards, as many as 70% reported some motion
sickness.
In most cases this was mild and passed within 10 minutes of
exposure to the virtual experience. However, on average, 7% of the
participants had to drop out of the experiment within the first 20
minutes of the hour-long session. Those who suffered most were
people who were already prone to migraines, travel sickness and
distrust of virtual reality technology.
Head-mounted displays were found to produce the most drop-outs
at 12%.