Electroencephalography Signal Analysis for Virtual Reality Sickness: Head-mounted Display and Screen-based

Abstract

The use of virtual reality (VR) technology is growing in the current era of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the use of VR is causing problems for its users. Some symptoms, such as nausea, headache, and eye strain, are felt after using VR. These symptoms are called VR sickness. This study used electroencephalography (EEG) to record participants' brain activity changes when experiencing VR sickness. Participants are given VR impressions via screens and head-mounted displays (HMD). In addition, the subject also filled out a simulator sickness questionnaire (SSQ) before and after being given a VR. Brain waves in the alpha frequency range (8 Hz-13 Hz) and low beta frequency (13 Hz-21 Hz) were analyzed through the power spectral density (PSD). From the SSQ results, participants who saw VR through the screen experienced increased nausea symptoms. On the other hand, participants who saw VR through HMD experienced an increase in nausea and oculomotor symptoms (p<0.05). Based on power spectral analysis, changes in alpha wave PSD were obtained in the frontal, central, and parietal brain regions. There was also a shift in the value of the alpha peak frequency from before and after the participants were given VR. The average value of the alpha peak frequency shifts to a significant value. Therefore, it is concluded that the VR sickness from HMD viewing is more significant than through screens in the form of PSD results.