Effects on Balance Disturbance of Manipulating Depth of an Independent Visual Background in a Stereographic Display

Simulator sickness (SS) is a major impediment to use of virtual environments (VEs). Procedures to alleviate SS have been of limited value. The ‘independent visual background’ (IVB) may reduce SS when people use a VE. Optimum characteristics of IVBs remain to be determined. In this study, balance was disturbed by roll oscillation of a black and white radial pattern. Disturbance was reduced by simultaneous presentation of an IVB. Effects of locating the IVB in the foreground or background relative to the moving radial pattern using a stereographic display were determined. Nine subjects were tested at two IVB luminance levels and three different IVB conditions using a within-subjects design. An expected statistically significant difference between the IVB and no-IVB conditions was observed. No effect of IVB location was obtained. Effects of foreground / background manipulations on spatial orientation are addressed.

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