Cybersickness in a Virtual and Mixed Reality Flight Simulator With a Video See-Through Head-Mounted Display

Abstract: The Swedish Air Force Combat Simulation Centre (FLSC) is investigating how immersive technologies can be used with flight simulators. Cybersickness is sickness-like effects experienced when immersed in virtual environments using head-mounted displays. Research suggests that cybersickness is less severe in Mixed Reality (MR), where the environment is mixed with virtual and real objects, when using an optical see-through head-mounted display. The primary objective of this thesis was to determine differences in cybersickness in a Virtual Reality (VR) and MR flight simulator when using a video see-through head-mounted display. Twenty-nine volunteers participated in a cross-over experiment with repeated measure design, at FLSC in Kista. Cybersickness was assessed using the Simulator Sickness Questionnaire (SSQ) and Fast Motion Sickness scale (FMS). Results showed that the mean total score of SSQ was higher in VR (M = 15.6) than MR (M = 12.6) although not statistically significant (p = .44). The mean FMS was also higher in VR (M = 1.34) than MR (M = 0.83) at a significant level (p = .035). Subscale scores of the SSQ showed that disorientation symptoms had a higher mean in both VR and MR, compared to nausea and oculomotor discomfort symptoms. Only in MR was disorientation symptoms significantly higher than nausea (p = .011). The thesis concluded that cybersickness seems less severe in MR and that disorientation symptoms seems predominant in MR and VR.