The beauty of virtual reality, as well as its drawback, is that once you become absorbed in it, you quickly forget that the real world exists. Virtual reality goggles divert the user’s attention away from their actual surroundings and completely obscure their view of them. However, while this is beneficial to the mind, it can be harmful to the body. When virtual reality users do not take precautions to ensure their safety, serious injuries can occur. We’ve given three recommendations to keep you safe when using virtual reality. (See also: virtual reality medical training, augmented reality anatomy teaching, and virtual reality medical education.)
Cleave the physical space of any clutter.
Selecting the actual environment in which you will join the virtual reality world is critical, and this should be done with care. If you opt to remain seated during your virtual reality encounter, you will likely notice yourself ducking, flinching, or reaching out for something in the environment. Select a location that is not close to stairwells, balconies, or windows. Remove furniture and clutter from the path of travel so that you don’t trip over something (table corners, rug edges, and plants are biggest offenders). Keep your dogs in a separate room so that they don’t wander into your space and get stepped on or trip you when you’re trying to work. If you stand too close to other individuals, you may end up running into them or slapping them in the face. When it comes to avoiding major injury to yourself and others, a large, open space is the best option.
DETERMINE THE VR BOUNDARIES
Virtual spaces are virtually limitless. Living rooms and schools, on the other hand, are not. You should walk about the physical location with your goggles on before entering the virtual space to calibrate your bounds. Many virtual reality systems will warn you if you are getting too close to a wall, but it is crucial to be aware of your physical surroundings and not rely exclusively on these notifications. It is possible that hardware or software faults will prevent these notifications from being correct, or that a physical object will be moved after you enter the building, which will prevent these alerts from being completely trustworthy.
REMAIN IN YOUR SEATING
Sit down unless walking is an intrinsic component of the virtual reality space you are now occupying. Accidents can be avoided most effectively by sitting. Even though you will orient yourself with your physical space and set your virtual reality boundaries before putting on your VR goggles, once you are enveloped in the virtual reality space, it is very easy to forget about physical objects or boundaries if you are walking or moving around in the virtual reality environment. Falling into a wall, stumbling over a piece of furniture, or tripping over the headset cord is a surefire way to ruin your virtual reality experience and put yourself in danger.