Understanding the relationship between cybersickness and usability through seven human factors dimensions: An exploratory comparison of two virtual reality training applications.

Virtual Reality (VR) technology has become an increasingly popular tool in various training applications. It can provide trainees with a controlled environment to practice scenarios that may be too dangerous or expensive to replicate in real life. Yet, while VR training provides many benefits, it is essential to ensure that it is used appropriately and consider the potential risks associated with such technology, namely cybersickness. If not taken into account, cybersickness can seriously threaten the usability of VR training applications, preventing them from reaching their full potential. Similarly, poor usability can have negative impacts on users’ well-being. This paper provides an overview of the usability and cybersickness characteristics of VR training. Then, it looks into seven human factors (HF) dimensions impacting cybersickness and provides recommendations to mitigate its effects on VR users. Finally, it shows the importance of considering both usability and cybersickness aspects to achieve safe and effective training in VR. To this end, two VR applications are compared, one used for learning assembly operations and the other to learn aircraft operating procedures. Their usability issues and degree of cybersickness are then discussed using the HF dimensions.