A Simulator to Study the Effects of Color and Color Blindness on Motion Sickness in Virtual Reality Using Head-Mounted Displays

We have created an Android-based virtual reality (VR) simulator to investigate the effects that color and color blindness have on visually induced motion sickness in virtual reality using Samsung Gear VR. We simulate a patterned optokinetic drum or sphere spinning for test subjects to look at. By choosing specific colors and using color blindness filters, we can investigate the impact on a colorblind person who looks at a spinning optokinetic drum or sphere that seemingly shows one flat color. The amount of the time that elapses before motion sickness symptoms occur can be recorded and compared among observers with normal color vision, colorblind observers, and test subjects who have a color blindness filter enabled. We believe that our new tool will contribute to improvements in accessibility of VR games and simulations developed for modern head–mounted displays, including those designed to hold a mobile device, such as a smartphone or tablet.