Science University Research Symposium (SURS)
Evaluating the Performance of the Cyberith Virtualizer Elite 2 as a VR Locomotion Platform
Abstract
The Cyberith Virtualizer Elite 2, a commercially available omnidirectional treadmill, offers a solution for navigating vast virtual environments within limited physical spaces. This paper assesses this locomotion method by comparing it with the standard performance of individuals immersed in virtual reality in an unrestricted physical environment. To do so, we ran an experiment with VR tasks centered around 1) distance estimation and 2) path integration. We found that when using the virtualizer, subjects over estimated distances compared to subjects using natural walking, had higher angular errors in path integration, and had higher simulator sickness scores. A second experiment found that experiencing a larger environment first caused higher levels of motion sickness, and motion sickness declined with increased exposure.
