Pleasant Locomotion -- Towards Reducing Cybersickness using fNIRS during Walking Events in VR

ABSTRACTMoving in virtual reality without causing cybersickness is still an unsolved and difficult problem, especially if the virtual space is much larger than the real space and the virtual reality environment asks for quick movements. Many methods to reduce cybersickness are proposed but most of them also reduce immersion. In this paper, we explore the use of fNIRS as an additional modality to detect the level of cybersickness for movement events in VR. We try to mitigate the sickness an individual feels by narrowing the field of vision based on the sickness level detected via measuring increased deoxygenated hemoglobin (Hb) with fNIRS. Our overall goal is to reduce cybersickness in virtual reality applications using physiological signals and appropriate adjustments with little to no impact on immersion.