A first-of-its-kind research study leveraging remote participants to study cybersickness at unprecedented scale and speed has launched with the Virtual Experience Research Accelerator (VERA) , a National Science Foundation-funded platform designed to advance immersive technology research.
Cybersickness, one of VR’s most persistent challenges, occurs when symptoms such as nausea, dizziness and discomfort are caused by a mismatch between visual motion in a headset and a user’s physical motion.
“Understanding who is susceptible to cybersickness is critical to improving VR accessibility, making VR more comfortable for all users and enabling broader adoption across research, education and industry,” says Gerd Bruder , associate professor at the University of Central Florida who is leading the study in collaboration with other university researchers and external partners.
Early data collection has highlighted the powerful capabilities of the VERA platform to accelerate VR research.
In just 15 cumulative days, more than 250 participants completed the full study protocol, including more than 90 participants in the first three days. Each participant completed a standardized, approximately 30-minute session remotely using their own Meta Quest headset from home.
In comparison, the original in-lab study collected data from just 30 participants. In traditional VR research settings, studies with hundreds of participants often require several months to complete.
The study protocol includes a controlled VR carnival ride experience, called the “Cybersicker,” periodic sickness ratings collected every 30 seconds, pre- and post-exposure questionnaires, an in-VR visual acuity assessment, and continuous head-tracking data.
Enrollment is ongoing with a target of 2,000 participants. Preliminary analyses already suggest meaningful individual differences in how quickly and severely participants experience cybersickness. Further findings will be shared as the study progresses.
“VERA was built to study problems like this with a combination of speed, scale, and experimental complexity not previously possible,” says Gregory Welch , the lead principal investigator on VERA at UCF. “This is just the beginning. The sectors where VERA can make an impact is expansive, from healthcare to workforce training to accessibility to learning.”
About VERA
The Virtual Experience Research Accelerator (VERA) is a National Science Foundation-funded platform that enables researchers to design, deploy, and manage VR studies with remote participants. By lowering logistical barriers, reducing costs, and expanding participant reach, VERA advances the pace and scope of immersive research.