HUMAN-FACTORS ISSUES IN VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENTS - A REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE

Virtual environments are envisioned as being systems that will enhance the communication between humans and computers. If virtual systems ar e to be effective and well received by their users, considerable human -factors research needs to be accomplished. This paper provides an ove rview of many of these human-factors issues, including human performan ce efficiency in virtual worlds (which is likely influenced by task ch aracteristics, user characteristics, human sensory and motor physiolog y, multimodal interaction, and the potential need for new design metap hors); health and safety issues (of which cybersickness and deleteriou s physiological aftereffects may pose the most concern); and the socia l impact of the technology. The challenges each of these factors prese nt to the effective design of virtual environments and systematic appr oaches to the resolution of each of these issues are discussed.