Virtual reality (VR) equipment has tended to be cumbersome and expensive, all heavy headsets and awkward gloves. Until recently it’s been beyond the reach of the home consumer, but with the appearance of Oculus Rift (since bought by Facebook), Microsoft’s HoloLens, and even DIY options such as Google Cardboard, it seems VR is coming to a living room near you soon.
But there’s a bigger problem with VR than just cost: virtual reality tends to make users feel sick. Simulator sickness, symptoms of which include dizziness, nausea, sweating and disorientation, is a well-known problem for virtual reality users. However, researchers from Purdue University have struck upon a novel way of combating virtual reality sickness that draws upon natural methods.
Sensory Scramble
The computer-generated sensory signals that generate simulated virtual reality experiences manipulate our senses independently. As our usual perceptual experience of the world is multisensory, the difference between what we’re seeing and hearing in the VR headset and information from our other senses causes confusion.
