SBIR Phase I: Screening Users of Virtual Reality Systems for After-effects Such as Motion Sickness and Balance Problems

9561266肯尼迪这个小型企业创新研究第一阶段项目致力于开发一套测试程序，以评估与人类接触虚拟现实系统有关的后遗症。虚拟现实(VR)技术目前正被设计为在社会的许多领域广泛使用。VR系统提供的逼真的临场感和自我运动可能会有不利的一面。可能会出现类似晕车症状的后遗症，其中一些表明失去方向感和不稳定。虚拟现实系统的用户在暴露于虚拟环境期间以及之后由于偶尔出现的长期影响，如闪回、眼球运动障碍、嗜睡和运动控制障碍，都有患病和受伤的风险。提出了一项研发计划，以开发一系列方法、测试和程序，以确定：(A)预计会导致用户生病的VR系统，(B)可能被改进或修改的特定设备和使用特性，以及(C)在暴露于虚拟环境后可能面临受伤和/或持续疾病的特别风险的用户。拟议的电池主要用作因变量，即记录暴露在模拟环境中的影响。第一阶段将执行三项任务，第一项工作是确定电池中应包括哪些测试，以及各种配置如何适应各个任务。第二项任务是确定电池测试的敏感度和心理测量学特征，以便深入了解将要遇到和克服的困难。第三种是反复对个人进行一套有代表性的测试，以确定测试的稳定性。这项工作将为下一阶段的研究提供基础，下一阶段的研究将需要进一步验证这些测试和开发算法，使其适用于VR系统开发人员。需要一种可由虚拟环境系统的制造商使用以确保与使用虚拟现实系统相关的最小风险的测试方法组。这种可用于证明特定虚拟环境系统不会对人类产生不良影响的测试电池的可用性，对于这种设备的制造商和用户来说，无论是用于研究还是商业用途，都将是极其宝贵的。

9561266 Kennedy This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project is concerned with developing a set of test procedures to evaluate aftereffects in connection with exposure of humans to virtual reality systems. Virtual reality (VR) technology is currently being designed for broad availability in many segments of society. There can be a downside to the compellingly realistic presence and self-motion afforded from VR systems. Aftereffects resembling symptoms of motion sickness can occur, some of which indicate disorientation and unsteadiness. Users of virtual reality systems are at risk of illness and injury both during exposure to virtual environments, and afterwards due to the occasional presence of long-term effects such as flashbacks, oculomotor disturbances, drowsiness and disturbed motor control. An R&D program is proposed to develop a battery of methods, tests, and procedures in order to identify: (a) VR systems expected to cause sickness in users, (b) specific equipment and usage characteristics that may be improved or modified, and (c) users who may be at particular risk of injury and/or sustained illness following exposure to a virtual environment. The proposed battery is intended for use primarily as a dependent variable, that is, to register the effects of exposure to simulated environments. Three tasks will be carried out in Phase I. The first effort will be to determine which tests should be included in the battery and how the various configurations can accommodate the individual tasks. The second task will be to determine the sensitivity and psychometric characteristics of the tests in the battery in order to obtain insights into difficulties to be encountered and overcome. The third will be to repeatedly administer a representative set of tests to individuals to determine the stability of the tests. This work will provide the foundation for the next phase of the research which will entail further validation of these tests and development of the algorithms whic h will make them saleable to VR system developers. A need exists for a methodological battery of tests which can be used by manufacturers of virtual environment systems to ensure that minimal risk is associated with use of virtual reality systems. The availability of such a battery of tests which could be employed to certify that particular virtual environment systems produce no ill effects to humans would be extremely valuable to manufacturers and users of such equipment either for research or commercial usage.