In a bid to modernize maritime training, a recent study has taken a closer look at the age-old issue of simulator sickness, comparing traditional full-mission bridge simulators (FMBS) with the newer virtual reality (VR) systems. Led by Bartosz Muczyński from the Faculty of Navigation at the Maritime University of Szczecin in Poland, the research, published in the journal ‘Applied Sciences’ (translated from Polish), offers some intriguing insights for the maritime sector.
The study involved 32 final-year maritime students, all new to VR, who took on a navigational watch scenario in both a conventional FMBS and a VR system. After each session, participants filled out a standardized questionnaire to rate their simulator sickness symptoms. The results? Well, they’re a bit of a mixed bag.
Muczyński and his team found that the conventional FMBS didn’t cause any significant changes in simulator sickness scores. However, the VR system did show a slight increase in some areas, like oculomotor and disorientation symptoms. But here’s the kicker—these increases weren’t statistically significant after applying a correction for multiple comparisons. Plus, the nausea subscale didn’t budge in either condition.
Now, why the slight increase in symptoms with VR? Muczyński suggests it might be due to the novelty of the experience. “Participants’ baseline SSQ scores were lower before the VR trial than before the conventional trial, suggesting a possible novelty effect,” he explained.
But it’s not all smooth sailing for VR. Participants reported some physical discomforts, like the weight of the headset and visual resolution issues. Most still preferred the conventional simulator for longer training sessions. “VR’s current hardware had comfort limitations,” Muczyński noted, but he also pointed out that using a standard calm-weather training scenario in VR produced only a minimal, statistically non-significant increase in simulator sickness compared to the conventional simulator.
So, what does this mean for the maritime industry? Well, it’s a sign that VR is making waves, but it’s not quite ready to replace traditional simulators just yet. The technology is improving, and as hardware becomes more comfortable and less intrusive, VR could become a powerful tool for maritime training. It offers high immersion, which could be a game-changer for certain types of training.
For now, though, it seems that conventional FMBS still holds the fort. But with ongoing advancements in VR technology, the maritime sector should keep a close eye on this developing trend. After all, as Muczyński’s study shows, the future of maritime training could very well be virtual.