From: zweig@cs.uiuc.edu (Johnny Zweig)
Subject: Re: Motion Sickness and VR
Date: Fri, 18 Jan 91 19:19:26 GMT
Organization: U of Illinois, Dept. of Computer Science, Systems Research Group


In a psych class I took a few years back, we saw a film showing people placed
in the center of an almost spherical room with a random blotchy pattern
displayed on the walls/floor (picture a guy standing on the inside bottom of a
20' beachball).  The pattern was slowly rotated in a manner that simulated how
things would look if the subject were falling over, though of course the floor
stayed steady as a rock (or floor, as the case may be).  It was fascinating to
watch the subjects as they tried to just stand there despite their eyes
telling them they were falling over.  Most of them ultimately flung themselves
to the side trying to correct for the nonexistent fall, even though the floor
was padded and they were told the room was not moving.  Seen from the camera,
it is amazing to watch the people shuddering, trying not to move, then leaping
viciously at the floor to "keep from falling".

The relation between the visual sensorium and the sensation of motion is
really amazing.

-Johnny Vision