AFTEREFFECTS AND SENSE OF PRESENCE IN VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENTS - FORMULATION OF A RESEARCH-AND-DEVELOPMENT AGENDA

This report represents a committee summary of the current state of kno wledge regarding aftereffects and sense of presence in virtual environ ments (VEs). The work presented in this article, and the proposed rese arch agenda, are the result of a special session that was set up in th e framework of the Seventh International Conference on Human Computer Interaction. Recommendations were made by the committee regarding rese arch needs in aftereffects and sense of presence, and, where possible, priorities were suggested. The research needs were structured in term s of the short, medium, and long term and, if followed, should lead to ward the effective use of VE technology. The 2 most critical research issues identified were (a) standardization and use of measurement appr oaches for aftereffects and (b) identification and prioritization of s ensorimotor discordances that drive after effects. Identification of a ftereffects countermeasures (i.e., techniques to assist users in readi ly transitioning between the real and virtual worlds), reduction of sy stem response latencies, and improvements in tracking technology were also thought to be of critical importance.