From: Tony Plant <T.A.Plant@bnr.co.uk>
Subject: Re: MISC: HMD Safety
Organization: BNR Europe Limited., London Road, Harlow, UK.

Hi,

        First off an unreserved apology for forgetting Mr Nicoll's
first name! I have to continue to use the more formal "Mr".

        Right, actually Mr Nicoll, I don't think our positions are
that far apart. I am very concerned that Joe or Jane Public
(especially little Joes and Janes) should not suffer any damaging
side-effects (visual, mental or physical) from mass market HMDs. I
think that is the widely held view of the VR community.

        I have no intention of discrediting the Edinburgh work (or any
other) which is an active attempt to ensure HMDs are "safe". The
positive reaction to the Independent's article is to accept that what
is safe in research labs is not necessarily safe for the mass market.
Now that the mass market beckons, we must lead the definition of what
a "safe HMD for the home" really means in the known context of kids
playing games for hours on end. As a community we have the means and
the expertise, so lets take the lead and do it!

>  Mr Plant's 'little Johnie and Jane' (his virtual participants) are
>  already playing protracted periods of time playing games already. Do
>  you think that they will adhere to a highway code? What will this code
>  be based on, the findings of a perceptual psychologist whose
>  recommendations are to play for less than ten minutes, in every hour?

        A highway code is *not* all that is needed. It is just one
thing that is needed. I do not expect everyone (or even most) to
adhere to it. But some will. When we teach kids how to cross a road
safely, most of them realise its for their own good. It *is* possible
to teach kids to be responsible in their use of video games, without
taking away all the fun! Safe HMDs alone is not enough. It must be
combined with user education.

>  In the context of potential hazards with HMDs, I contend there exists
>  little relationship between cars and TVs, let alone either of them in
>  respect to VR. The problems of killing a child by hitting them with a
>  car, or killing them slowly by turning them into a couch potato, have
>  little resemblance in my mind to distorting their perceptual systems
>  with HMDs. It says little of VRs real promise to relegate it to cars
>  and TVs.

        No! I am not relegating VR to anything! My point is that HMDs,
cars and TVs are open to abuse however "safe" you try and make them.
What the public wants (or is told to want) is what it gets. What it
wants to do with it, it does. Playing King Canute is futile. Doing
nothing when forewarned of the possible dangers of HMDs is totally
unacceptable. Continuing to run around shouting "VR will zap your
brain" achieves nothing (not that you are doing that Mr Nicoll).

        So let us take positive action. I can't do the required human
factors experiments nor prepare the user education material. I am
simply not qualified. I have no influence to get the funding or to
ensure Sega/W Industries/Whoever comply with findings. But, as a
multi-disciplinary community *we* can do all of this (or have sway
with others that can). If I can help the VR "movers and shakers" do
this, let me know ; otherwise I bow out of the debate.

Bye
Tony

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Tony Plant                    | BNR Europe Ltd, Harlow, Essex, UK, CM17 9NA
(aka T.A.Plant@bnr.co.uk)     | Tel : +44 279 402109 (ESN 742 2109)
"To me, Cyberspace isn't William Gibson's vision, it isn't the global net.
When I use the word, I'm simply talking about a 3D user interface."
        - John Walker, Autodesk (but I feel the same!)
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