Evaluation of Suitable Rest Times for the Use of Optical Head-Mounted Displays

Abstract

This study aimed to determine suitable rest times for visual tasks of different lengths by evaluating visual fatigue and visually induced motion sickness while 20 healthy participants were using an optical head-mounted display. The independent variables tested were participant gender, visual task condition (30 min and 60 min), and length of rest time (5 min, 10 min, and 15 min). The critical fusion frequency (CFF) value and simulator sickness questionnaire (SSQ) scores were used as dependent measures. Gender showed no significant effect on CFF values or SSQ scores. Greater CFF values and SSQ scores were produced by the 60-min visual task than the 30-min visual task. The results of this study suggest that after completing a 30-min visual task, a rest time of at least 10 min is necessary for participants to recover, and a rest time of more than 15 min needs to follow a 60-min visual task.