Electro-stimulation against VR nausea: Stimbox declares war on motion sickness
The start-up NBI is developing a device that is intended to combat VR nausea and even promote balance outside of VR in the long term.
A compact box and a handful of electrodes are intended to definitively eliminate motion sickness in virtual reality.
(Image: Christian Steiner)
The French start-up Neural Balance Innovation, or “NBI” for short, aims to reduce the risk of nausea in virtual reality with a small device called “Stimbox” while simultaneously enhancing the feeling of movement. The technology is based on galvanic vestibular stimulation (GVS), i.e., targeted electrical impulses to the vestibular system in the inner ear.
Less nausea, more body awareness
The “Stimbox” consists of a small control unit and two to three electrodes that are attached behind the ears. The electrical stimulation is intended to either deliberately disrupt the sense of balance so that the brain no longer classifies it as a reliable source and relies solely on visual signals, or to be synchronized with the virtual movement to create the illusion of physical locomotion. Both can help reduce the so-called “motion sickness” effect in VR.
(Image:Â Christian Steiner)
According to Clarice da Costa CorrĂŞa, an engineer and doctoral student at NBI, the effect becomes clearly noticeable once the system is individually calibrated to the user. This process is done via an app and takes about 20 minutes. It tests how the inner ear, the spine, and both sides of the body react to the impulses. This allows individual threshold values to be determined: below a certain stimulation intensity, nausea can even worsen, while above it, the desired positive effect sets in.
Long-term effects also noticeable
In addition to acute application, NBI is also investigating possible long-term effects. In initial internal studies, daily application over ten days reportedly improved test subjects' balance even outside of VR. The hope is that regular use will also permanently increase tolerance to movement in VR.
NBI is currently still looking for industry partners to advance the integration of the technology into existing VR hardware. Furthermore, medical approval processes complicate its use in people with existing balance disorders, even though initial tests in this direction are said to have been promising, according to CorrĂŞa.
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The “Stimbox“ is already available for companies and research institutions as a wireless device that can connect to VR headsets via Bluetooth, WLAN, or USB. The current version uses electrodes, which require some care when applying. A new variant with electromagnetic stimulation is intended to work without direct skin contact in the future, making it suitable for a broader audience.
(joe)
