What is motion sickness, the syndrome behind the return of the Apple Vision Pro?

The Apple Vision Pro hit the streets of the United States in less than a week after its launch. Now, dozens of users have started returning the device for various reasons. Motion sickness is one of the major ones.

The number of reports on social networks about refund requests is astonishing. Despite this, it is too early to say that Apple’s mixed reality glasses are a commercial failure. Recent history has shown that this practice is common around technologies in the early stages of development and adoption.

The Vision Pro was described by Tim Cook as “the most advanced personal device” in history. These were launched in the market with a starting price of $3,400. Unlike other similar proposals, its main objective is to cover the productive needs of users, although they do not leave leisure aside. Expectations regarding the use of the device were high.

Users who are willing to return it Gadget At stores they cite all kinds of justifications. Confusing experiences in use, inconvenience and functions that fail to justify the price are just a few of the arguments to list. But one of the most common is related to the experience Motion sickness syndrome, also known as motion sickness,

Apple’s Vision Pro depicts a vast and strange future in computing

This is the company’s first new product line in years. Although the experience is polished, the design doesn’t feel exactly like Apple.

How does motion sickness relate to the Apple Vision Pro?

Motion sickness is the result of a normal physical reaction to the abnormal perception of actual or apparent motion. The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention explains that the organ registers displacement actions through impulses from the inner ear, eyes, muscles, and joints. When you get signals from these structures that don’t agree with each other, dizziness occurs. For example, if a person is reading on his phone while traveling on a bus, his eyes are focused on something that is not moving. However, the inner ear senses motion. This is when the disorder arises.

Anyone can suffer from it, but it is more common in children, the elderly and pregnant women. Its most common symptoms are dizziness, fatigue, pallor, nausea, cold sweat and vomiting. It is estimated that about a quarter of the people in the United States suffer from this syndrome.

The connection between devices like the Apple Vision Pro and the clinical situation is clear. These work under the principles of virtual, augmented and mixed reality. Virtual reality is a space simulated and stored on a computer server that is intended to mimic or match a physical location in the world. To navigate and experience immersion in a virtual reality environment, users do not need to move from their position. Augmentation refers to the superimposition of virtual objects on the real environment. Blending combines these virtual elements with real elements.

A study published in 2020 by the United States National Center for Biotechnology Information warned that “With the emergence of new virtual reality technologies, high-quality stereoscopic images are now able to simulate the visual and spatial properties of the real world. Despite improvements, current technology still fails to replicate human visual processes. solutions are software which can help reduce discomfort by presenting blurry images while walking; However, this technique may not be effective for everyone.

Little is known about the extent to which the use of mixed, virtual or augmented reality glasses can cause motion sickness due to the low accessibility of such devices in the market. However, this was an aspect that Apple took into account during the research and development process for its glasses. This reduced latency and increased the resolution of the screen, which contributes to reducing the chances of developing the syndrome.

Apple advises on its support page Do not use the Vision Pro for extended periods of time, in fast-moving situations or if users are prone to motion sickness., Provide some tips to avoid possible occurrences of motion sickness:

• Reduce the window size or increase the screen distance.
• Reduce immersion levels.
• Turn on the ‘Reduce motion on device’ setting.