Eye Movements and Vestibulo-Ocular Reflex as User Response in Virtual Reality

Abstract

Virtual reality (VR) is increasingly used in gaming, training, and health-related applications. However, the level of immersion and presence generated by VR can significantly influence the user and the achievement of desired outcomes. Therefore, methods to assess levels of immersion and presence need to be established. In this paper, we investigate the vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) and saccadic eye movements in multiple subjects exposed to VR to determine if VR triggers these responses as in real life. Using an HTC VIVE Pro Eye headset and Tobii Pro Lab software, we record head and eye movements in response to a 3D video of a roller coaster ride. Our results show that critical scenes in the video triggered VOR and saccadic eye movements in most subjects, indicating a strong correlation between VOR and saccadic eye movements during VR immersion. These findings may have implications for the study of human behavior and suggest the use of eye movement measures as feedback mechanisms during VR experiences.

Keywords

• Eye movements
• head movements
• virtual reality
• vestibular-ocular reflex
• saccadic movements
• virtual-reality immersion