Virtual Reality Perception

Module 3

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Perception of Space and Time:
Perception of Space:
Depth Perception: Uses binocular vision (both eyes) to judge distances.
Spatial Awareness: The brain integrates sensory inputs (vision, touch, proprioception)
to create a mental map of surroundings.
Motion Perception: Detects movement through visual and vestibular systems.

Perception of Time:
Subjective Time: Influenced by attention, emotions, and memory.
Biological Clocks: Governed by circadian rhythms and neural mechanisms in the brain.
Illusions of Time: Events may feel longer or shorter depending on focus and
engagement

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Perceptual Stability:
The brain’s ability to maintain a stable visual world despite eye movements.
Role of saccadic suppression and predictive coding.
Examples: visual continuity when blinking or shifting gaze.
Attention in Perception
Types of attention (selective, divided, sustained).
Role in filtering sensory information.
Impact on perception and decision-making.
Action and Perception
Sensorimotor integration: how perception guides movement.
Role of feedback loops in refining actions.
Example: reaching for an object while adjusting grip based on perception.

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Applications and Implications
Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) challenges.
Impact on user experience and motion sickness.
Design principles for better user interfaces.

Perception and Design Guidelines for VR:

Overview of perception in virtual reality (VR).
Importance of well-designed VR experiences to minimize adverse effects.

Perception in VR:
How the brain processes virtual environments.
Role of depth perception, motion, and spatial awareness.
Differences between real-world and VR perception.

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 Perception in VR
A) Visual Perception
Field of View (FOV): The human FOV is about 200° horizontally and 135° vertically. Most VR headsets
have a narrower FOV (~90–120°), so design accordingly.
Depth Cues: Use stereoscopic disparity, perspective, motion parallax, and lighting for depth perception.
Motion Blur & Refresh Rate: A minimum of 90Hz refresh rate reduces motion sickness.
Lens Distortion & Chromatic Aberration: Apply correction algorithms to avoid visual artifacts.
B) Vestibular Perception (Balance & Motion)
Vection (Illusory Self-Motion): Sudden accelerations can cause discomfort; smooth movements are
preferable.
Latency: Aim for <20ms total system latency to avoid motion sickness.
Frame Rate: Maintain a steady ≥90 FPS to prevent dizziness.
C) Audio Perception
Spatial Audio: Use 3D sound to enhance immersion and provide directional cues.
Head-Related Transfer Function (HRTF): Mimic how sounds reach each ear for realistic audio
positioning.
Latency: Audio must sync perfectly with visuals to maintain immersion.

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 Design Guidelines for VR
A. Comfort & Usability
Reduce Motion Sickness: Use teleportation or smooth locomotion with igniting.
Minimize Fast Rotations & Tilts: Use slow or fixed camera angles for less nausea.
IPD (Interpapillary Distance) Adjustment: Allow users to adjust for better visual clarity.
Avoid Staring at Close Objects: Keep objects at least 0.5m away to reduce eye strain.

B. Interaction Design
Hand & Controller Mapping: Provide natural interactions (grabbing, pointing, pressing).
Haptic Feedback: Enhance realism using vibrations or force feedback.
Gaze & Gesture Tracking: Use eye tracking for UI interactions and gaze-based selection.

C. Environment & UX
Maintain Scale & Proportions: Objects should match real-world sizes for familiarity.
User Interface (UI) Design:
Use diegetic UI (embedded in the environment).
Keep UI elements within 30–60° of the user’s forward gaze.
Use large, clear text and high-contrast colors.
Lighting & Shadows: Use realistic lighting to enhance depth perception and spatial awareness.

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 Design Guidelines for VR
D. Safety & Accessibility
Prevent Physical Collisions: Define a guardian boundary to avoid real-world obstacles.
Comfort Modes: Provide adjustable locomotion options for users with different sensitivities.
Accessible Design: Support one-handed mode, voice commands, and high-contrast visuals for better usability.
1. Motion Sickness (VR Sickness)
Motion sickness in VR occurs when there’s a mismatch between visual and vestibular (inner ear) signals. This leads to
nausea, dizziness, sweating, and discomfort.
Causes:
Latency & Low Frame Rate: Delays in rendering cause desynchronization between head movements and visuals.
Vection (Illusory Motion): Users feel like they're moving when they are not.
Inconsistent Acceleration: Sudden camera movements or rotations.
Poor Field of View (FOV): Narrow FOV can cause disorientation.
Prevention & Solutions:
Maintain 90+ FPS and <20ms latency.
Use teleportation instead of smooth locomotion.
Reduce vection by adding static reference points (e.g., cockpit in flight sims).
Minimize rotational movement—use gradual turns or snap-turns.
Comfort settings: Allow users to adjust FOV vignetting and movement speed.

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 VR perception
2. Eye Strain & Fatigue
Extended VR use can lead to dry eyes, blurred vision, headaches, and discomfort.
Causes:
Poor Interpupillary Distance (IPD) adjustment.
Vergence-accommodation conflict (VAC): The eyes focus at a fixed screen distance
while vergence (eye convergence) changes.
High brightness or low contrast.
Prolonged near-focus tasks.
Prevention & Solutions:
IPD Adjustment: Ensure users can set their IPD properly.
Limit close objects: Keep UI and objects at least 0.5m away.
Use high refresh rates (90Hz+) to reduce flickering.
Encourage breaks: 20-20-20 Rule (every 20 mins, look 20 feet away for 20
seconds).

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 VR perception
3. Seizures (Photosensitive Epilepsy)
Some users may experience seizures or convulsions due to flashing lights or high-
contrast patterns in VR.
Causes:
Rapid flashing lights (especially 3–60Hz flickering).
High-contrast visual patterns (e.g., checkerboard patterns).
Sudden bright flashes or strobe effects.
Prevention & Solutions:
Avoid flickering lights in the 3–60Hz range.
Give users a seizure warning before VR use.
Reduce sudden bright flashes or high-contrast moving textures.

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 VR perception
4. Aftereffects (Disorientation & VR Hangover)
After using VR, some users may experience lingering dizziness, balance issues, and
altered spatial perception.
Causes:
Prolonged VR sessions.
Strong vection effects (illusion of movement).
Overuse of artificial locomotion.
Prevention & Solutions:
Encourage short sessions with breaks every 30-60 minutes.
Design smooth transitions when exiting VR.
Provide grounding cues (e.g., horizon lines, static reference points).
Warn users about possible disorientation when removing the headset.

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 Hardware Challenges in VR Design
A. Latency
Latency refers to the delay between a user's movement and the corresponding visual feedback. High
latency can lead to discomfort and motion sickness, as it causes desynchronization between real-world
actions and VR responses.
Challenges:
Tracking latency: Slow response from sensors or head tracking systems.
Rendering latency: Delay between capturing user movement and rendering the updated frame.
System latency: Delays caused by processing time for input, rendering, and displaying.
Solutions:
High frame rate (at least 90Hz) to reduce motion blur and stutter.
Low latency tracking (sensor systems such as infrared or optical tracking for quick head and hand motion
detection).
Motion prediction algorithms to account for minor delays and smooth out movements.
Use of foveated rendering to reduce computational load by focusing resources on the area the user is
looking at.

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 Hardware Challenges in VR Design

B. Motion Tracking and Input Devices

Accurate tracking is essential for immersion, but it can be challenging due to the limited precision of
sensors.
Challenges:
Limited field of view (FOV) for tracking sensors.
Occlusion issues: When the user’s hands or body block the sensor's line of sight.
Tracking drift: Minor inaccuracies over time due to sensor limitations.
Solutions:
Implement external tracking stations or use inside-out tracking (where cameras on the headset detect
the environment and track motion).
Design for multiple input methods (e.g., handheld controllers, gesture tracking, eye tracking).
Use adaptive calibration algorithms to adjust for tracking drift over time.

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 Measuring Motion Sickness in VR
A. Indicators of Motion Sickness
Motion sickness in VR is primarily caused by discrepancies between visual and
vestibular stimuli. Common symptoms include nausea, dizziness, sweating, and
discomfort.
Measuring Techniques:
Self-Reported Scales: Using subjective questionnaires such as the Simulator
Sickness Questionnaire (SSQ), where users rate their experience on nausea,
sweating, and dizziness.
Physiological Monitoring: Tracking metrics like heart rate variability, skin
conductivity (galvanic skin response), and eye movement patterns to assess
symptoms of discomfort or sickness.
User Feedback: Real-time feedback from the user via an in-app system to monitor
discomfort levels (e.g., a scale from 1–10 for nausea or dizziness).

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 Measuring Motion Sickness in VR

B. Preventing and Mitigating Motion Sickness

To minimize motion sickness, reducing the sensory conflict between the visual
system and inner ear is key.
Solutions:
Smooth & Gradual Movement: Avoid sudden motions, and use smooth,
predictable camera transitions.
Vignetting & FOV Adjustment: Reduce the FOV or introduce vignetting during
movement to focus attention and reduce the feeling of disorientation.
Teleportation & Snap Turns: Implement teleportation or angular turning (snap
turns) rather than continuous motion to avoid disorienting users.
Real-Time Motion Feedback: Allow users to adjust speed, field of view, and
camera settings according to their comfort level.

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 Reducing Adverse Health Effects
A. Eye Strain and Fatigue
VR can cause eye strain, especially in long sessions. The constant focusing and focusing at a fixed
distance from the eyes can be taxing.
Solutions:
IPD Adjustment: Allow users to adjust the Interpupillary Distance (IPD) for optimal clarity.
Reduce Close-Object Interactions: Design VR objects to be at a comfortable viewing distance (not
too close).
Regular Breaks: Encourage users to take regular breaks (e.g., 5-minute breaks every 30 minutes)
to reduce strain.
B. Seizures and Photosensitivity
Flashing lights, strobe effects, or high-contrast patterns can trigger photosensitive epilepsy.
Solutions:
Avoid rapid flashing and flickering lights, particularly in the 3–60Hz frequency range.
Warn users about potential photosensitivity in the intro, allowing them to opt out if necessary.
Use calming visuals and moderate contrast between moving objects and the background.

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 Reducing Adverse Health Effects

C. VR Aftereffects & Disorientation

Users may experience lingering disorientation or imbalance after leaving VR, sometimes referred
to as a “VR Hangover”.
Solutions:
Provide Grounding Cues: Include objects or static reference points in the environment that help
orient users within the space (e.g., horizon lines, environmental textures).
Smooth Transitions: Ensure smooth and gradual transitions when users leave VR, possibly with
visual fade-outs.
Limit Session Length: Design for shorter, well-paced sessions (e.g., 20-30 minutes with breaks) to
prevent fatigue.

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 Design Guidelines for Reducing Adverse Effects
A. General Design Recommendations:
Realistic Movement: Use natural movement, like walking or teleporting, to avoid disorientation. Consider smooth
locomotion with smooth acceleration and deceleration.
Clear Visuals: Avoid overly busy or chaotic scenes that could lead to overstimulation. Keep visual clarity by prioritizing
contrast and readability.
Comfort Settings: Allow users to modify their experience (e.g., vignetting, FOV settings, movement speed, control
method).
Regular Rest Periods: Design experiences that prompt the user to take breaks (e.g., after every 15–30 minutes).
User Testing & Feedback: Conduct regular user testing to understand the comfort thresholds for different types of
experiences, such as combat, fast movement, or complex visual effects.

B. Motion Sickness Mitigation Guidelines:

Frame Rate & Latency: Ensure the VR experience runs at 90Hz or higher, with less than 20ms latency.
Locomotion Options: Provide options for users to select their preferred locomotion method (e.g., teleportation vs.
smooth walking).
Visual Cues: Include fixed reference points in environments to minimize the feeling of floating or disconnection
between the user’s head and body.
Real-Time Feedback: Monitor and alert users to the onset of motion sickness, offering them options to adjust settings
or take breaks.

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