A comparison of stairs and escalators in virtual reality

Abstract

In this poster we present an in-progress study to compare the usage of simulated escalators with simulated stairs within a virtual reality (VR) environment. We found no existing research that examines the usage of escalators in VR. Past research into virtual stairs has examined how to better simulate stairs in a virtual environment (VE) by using external tools to allow an individual to more closely match real world movements. With virtual stairs, the user moves forward horizontally while the virtual avatar moves horizontally and vertically. With escalators, the user may stand in place to move the same distance within the virtual space, while also closely mimicking the movements they would make on an actual escalator without requiring additional tools. This experiment will test if the advantage of escalators requiring less real-world movement is offset by other factors, such as nausea, general discomfort, and the presence of the participant during the simulation.