MIGRAINE sufferers should think twice before using virtual reality equipment,
according to a study funded by the Health and Safety Executive, which regulates
Britain鈥檚 workplaces.
The findings show that people with a history of migraines are more likely to
feel nauseous when using VR equipment. In some cases, symptoms lasted up to
eight hours after the subject left the 鈥渧irtual environment鈥�. People should be
warned of the potential effects of VR equipment before using it, the researchers
say.
VR systems allow people to move around a computer-graphic representation of a
3D environment. Although VR has been known to cause ill effects (New
快猫短视频, 27 January 1996, p 34), this is the first study to explore their
full extent and offer employers concrete guidelines on how they can be
prevented. 鈥淲e have built up a much larger body of evidence now,鈥� says Sarah
Nichols of the Virtual Reality Applications Research Team at the University of
Nottingham.
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In the study, they asked 221 participants to perform a series of tasks using
a variety of VR devices, including head-mounted displays, desktop screens and
projectors. Within the environments, each person was guided through an
industrial setting and asked to perform simple tasks.
Around 70 per cent of the participants experienced what are known as
VR-induced symptoms and effects. For the majority, the symptoms were mild and
short-lived, but for a small group diagnosed as classic migraine sufferers they
were far more serious. For 7 per cent, symptoms were so bad they had to drop out
of the test.
According to Nichols, the tests show that the most suitable design for VR
equipment varies from person to person, although she does not know why people
become ill. 鈥淎t the moment I don鈥檛 think anyone has identified a causal
mechanism because there are so many factors involved,鈥� she explains. 鈥淭here鈥檚
not one element that is responsible for these effects.鈥�