Whether discussing with casual observers, enthusiasts, or even experiencing fictional works inspired by VR, there’s usually some sort of mention of the fears of becoming too attached to virtual spaces. We’re far from having devices comfortable or immersive enough to truly warrant such a thing, but a couple decided to test the limits anyway. Headsets and their various experiences are built to play under a couple hours but Dean Johnson and Sarah Jones decided to live with a virtual reality headset on for 48-hours as reported by Engadget.
Dean Johnson, head of innovation at the Brandwidth agency, is not a stranger to extensive VR exposure. He’s previously spent 24-hours straight using a collection of VR headsets but this time he recruited a guest, Coventry University’s Deputy Head of School Sarah Jones, and doubled the goal to 48 hours with 5-minute breaks each hour to record vlogs and use the restroom. So it’s not actually continuous, but pretty close.
The two engaged in their usual daily routine, including sleeping with the headsets on, but also added in a few intense physical activities. “We wanted it to be as physical as possible,” Johnson says. “How extreme do you need to get with the physical additions to VR to make it feel real?”
Using the Gear VR’s pass-through camera capability, the duo drove around in go-karts and wind-walked on the wings of a plane. They adjusted to the karts with no problem, despite the narrow field of view. For the wind-walk, though, the headset’s limitations made the experience not seem as real as it should have. “It still didn’t feel real to us with what we were seeing,” he says, “but the movement — the buffeting and forcing yourself against the wind, they were the things that physically added the extra dimension.”
Sleep also provided an interesting type of stimulation for the two. “When you wake up in VR, you just believe everything,” Johnson explained. “It’s kind of like waking up in an unfamiliar hotel room. You may not know where you are or what the timezone is, but you just believe you’re in a hotel room. Why would you not?”
While getting a tattoo, Johnson explained that the pain level seemed to drop down a third. His apple watch noted his heart-rate dropped from 103 beats-per-minute to 74, so there was a clear benefit to having VR diverting his attention. This type of revelation could be beneficial in the medical field for different types of therapy or pain management in different instances — such as child birth.
One would think that any number of VR headset manufacturers would jump at the opportunity that Johnson and Jones’ experiment would provide regarding exposure and promo, but every company Johnson approached turned him down. Ultimately, this entire ordeal is against the recommended use of virtual reality and it’s reasonable no manufacturer wanted to co-sign without knowing what could potentially happen to the two. While Johnson did have blurry vision for a short time after the VR experiment, physical ailments like bruises on Jones’ cheeks from the headset were more prevalent and bothersome.
As headsets become more comfortable and resolutions get better the record for consecutive time spent in VR will increase. With that, hopefully, some interesting data will be recorded to contribute to evolution in the industry.
