Virtual Nose Helps Prevent Simulator Sickness in Video Games

Video games are immersive and often cause simulator sickness like nausea and vertigo. Researchers at Purdue University point to a potential strategy to ease the affliction. David Whittinghill, Assistant Professor, Department of Computer Graphics Technology, Purdue University, said “The problem is your perceptual system does not like it when the motion of your body and your visual system are out of sync. So if you see motion in your field of view you expect to be moving, and if you have motion in your eyes without motion in your vestibular system you get sick.”

The researchers have discovered that the virtual nose, or "nasum virtualis," reduces simulator sickness when inserted into popular video games.

Researchers recruited 41 volunteers, they played a number of video games of varying motion intensity and rode a wild virtual roller coaster while wearing a virtual reality headset.

Some of the volunteers played games containing the virtual nose, while others played standard versions. They were not told that the virtual nose was there.

Volunteers who had the virtual nose could play one simulation on average 94 seconds longer before getting sick. While those playing the roller coaster played the game only 2.2 seconds longer.

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Source-Medindia