Asynchronous Visual Delays and the Development of Simulator Sickness

Three asynchronous visual throughput delays were investigated for possible relationship to the development of simulator sickness in a fixed-base flight trainer. The SH-60B Vertical Takeoff and Land (VTOL) Simulator, part of the Navy's Visual Technology Research Simulator (VTRS) program, was used to investigate this issue. Twenty-four experienced pilots flew two, 20-minute tasks under each delay condition for a total of three nonconsecutive hours over the course of three days. Objective and self-report indices were collected and, while results showed no differences between delay conditions, there was a high initial incidence of illness among all pilots followed by a rapid adaptation. Relationships between indices are presented along with suggested areas for future research.