Spatial Frequency and Visual Comfort in Virtual Reality

PARTICIPANT INFORMATION SHEET

Department of Computer Science

You are being invited to take part in a study on spatial frequency and visual comfort in virtual reality. Before you decide, it is important for you to understand why the research is being done and what it will involve. Please take time to read the following information carefully and ask me if there is anything that is not clear or if you would like more information. Thank you for reading this.

What is the purpose of the project?

I am conducting a piece of research for my MPhil that is looking at how change in spatial frequency affects eye comfort in VR. This research project forms part of my degree assessment and the findings may be disseminated at conferences and in published articles.

Why have I been invited to take part?

You have been asked to take part because adult participants with normal to corrected vision are required. Taking part in this research is entirely voluntary. If you decide to take part you will be given this information sheet to keep (and be asked to sign a consent form). If you decide to take part you can change your mind at any time and withdraw from the study up until two weeks after your participation without giving a reason. After this date the research will have been prepared for analysis and write-up and your data cannot be retrieved. To withdraw from the study please email me at dad58@aber.ac.uk with your participant ID and all the data recorded regarding your participation will be deleted.

What will happen to me if I take part?

As soon as you enter the room, you will be asked to complete a consent form (able to be viewed here):

First, the distance between your pupils will be measured so that we can correctly calibrate the headset. Then, you will be asked to put on the VR headset, where you will be in three virtual scenes:

1. An introductory scene in which you will be asked to try moving, pressing buttons, reading signs, and interacting with objects. This can take up to 10 minutes depending on familiarity with VR.
2. The main scene in the experiment – you will be in a simple scene containing a large, patterned surface. You will be asked to move further and closer to the surface, to find the most comfortable distance from the surface while looking directly at it. You can move by either physically walking in the space or by using the handheld controllers to move. When you have decided on the ideal distance, you will be asked to press a button which will then load the next pattern.
3. After looking at a set number of patterns, you will then be moved to a scene where you will be asked to sort them by preference. They will be mapped onto spheres, and you will be able to sort them by throwing them into certain objects, for example the basketball hoop of indifference. When all the spheres have been judged, you will return to scene 2.

The experiment should take no more than 45 minutes.

What are the possible disadvantages and risks of taking part?

Some users of VR experience nausea or disorientation if in a headset for too long, so the option to pause and remove the headset will be there for the whole experiment. People also may take part physically walking around an arena or sat down on a chair only moving virtually. You may change your mind on whether you wish to stand or walk at any time, although if you are nauseas or disoriented, you will be encouraged to sit. Otherwise, there are no risks associated with this study, and it is hoped that you enjoy taking part.

In the unlikely event that you have cause for complaint, please contact my supervisor Dr David Hunter at the address below.

Will my taking part in this project be kept confidential?

All personal information relating to you (e.g., question answers, VR movement tracking files) will be kept confidential and in a password protected file on my personal computer, and your consent form stored securely in a lockable cabinet. The data for my project will be in the form of text and CSV files that will be titled according to your randomly generated participant ID.

Please note that in exceptional circumstances confidentiality may have to be breached in cases where persons are considered to be at risk or if required by law.

What happens immediately after data collection?

You will have the opportunity to ask further questions regarding the study should you wish to do so.

How does the project fit with data protection obligations?

This research is being conducted in accordance with current UK data protection legislation. The data controller for this project will be Aberystwyth University (AU). Your personal data will be processed for the purposes outlined in this notice. Carrying out research is one of our core functions and is in the public interest. The lawful basis used to process your personal data will therefore be ‘a task in the public interest’. If you have any questions about how your personal data is being processed, please contact the researcher. If you have any concerns, the AU Data Protection Officer (DPO) provides oversight of activities involving the processing of personal data and they can be contacted at infogovernance@aber.ac.uk. The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) provide information about your rights as a data subject and about how to raise any concerns with them.

Who has reviewed the project?

This project has been reviewed and approved by an independent reviewer on behalf of the department of Computer Science and Aberystwyth University. As the researcher, I am required to conduct the research in accordance to these guidelines.

Contact for further information

Dave Davies – dad58@aber.ac.uk

Dave Hunter – dah56@aber.ac.uk

HOW TO TAKE PART

Regardless of how you found this web page, if you are an adult (18 years or older) with normal to corrected vision, you are welcome to take part in this experiment!

Please note that this experiment is done in person, and you will need to be able to get to the Aberystwyth computer science department for the time you select. There is no disabled access to the lab, it is up one flight of stairs. There may be a one or two other people working quietly in the lab whilst the experiment is happening. You can book your experiment time here.

Me testing the experiment