Acceleration instead of Speed: Acceleration Visual Cues in VR for Reduced Motion Sickness in Linear Motion

Virtual Reality (VR) in vehicles poses challenges, notably motion sickness. Using matched motion—mirroring actual vehicle movement in VR—can alleviate this. However, such visual cues may be distracting to users. This paper compares acceleration-based cues that only display changes in velocity, with traditional matched motion (speed-based) on straight roads. The research assesses their effectiveness in reducing motion sickness while potentially offering less distraction. Results show that displaying acceleration only cues in VR can mitigate motion sickness comparably to matched motion while causing fewer distractions. Our design is fully implemented in VR without additional hardware. This can facilitate a broader deployment. Additionally, it emphasizes the delicate balance between reducing motion sickness and preserving user experience.