Virtual and augmented reality in a simulated naval engagement: Preliminary comparisons of simulator sickness and human performance

The aim of this study was to compare simulator sickness symptoms while participants wore either a virtual reality (VR) or augmented reality (AR) headset. A secondary aim involved comparing how physical motion affects symptoms. During a simulation, participants wore VR and AR headsets while standing on a motion platform and firing at hostile ships under three motion conditions: No Physical Motion; Synchronous Motion, in which the physical and displayed motion were coupled; and Asynchronous Motion, in which the physical motion did not match the display. Symptoms increased over time but were not different with respect to headset or motion. The VR condition had higher accuracy and faster response time to the commence fire instruction. Further research is necessary to determine if this holds under more extreme motion. The use of VR or AR headsets for training under gentle motion conditions is practicable and should be permissible under normal conditions during deployment.