Detection of biomarker related to VR sickness

Abstract

We investigated changes in cortical and autonomic nervous activity associated with discomfort feeling during experience in the virtual reality environment (VR sickness). Five young adults watched 3D-CG movies using a head-mounted display while their EEG and ECG responses were measured. Participants continuously reported their discomfort level by pinching a pressure sensor during their VR experience. The subjective discomfort level was negatively correlated with the delta wave activity of the parietal area and the beta wave activity of the central, parietal and occipital areas. No significant correlation was found with indices of cardiac autonomic nervous activity. Results suggest that the parietal cortical activity, which plays a crucial role in integrating the spatial and motor perception of the self, could be a potential biomarker for detecting VR sickness.