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Samsung recently liberate its novel practical - reality headset , the Gear VR ( powered by Oculus Rift ) , but the merchandise comes with a presentiment list of potential health - related side effect .
The electronics giant star caution that multitude should stop using theGear VRimmediately if they live seizures , passing of awareness , eye strain , nausea or " anysymptoms similar to movement malady . " In gain , the gadget is not recommended for children younger than 13 .
" extended use should be avoided , as this could negatively impact hand - eye coordination , symmetry and multitasking ability , " thelengthy disclaimerwarns .
Samsung also says the machine should not be used in a moving fomite , although the Australian airlineQantas recently announcedit will shortly be leave the headsets to first - class rider on flights . [ exposure : Virtual Reality Puts grownup in a Child ’s cosmos ]
Virtual reality ( VR ) is becoming increasingly common in everything from amusement to medicine to the military . But when it comes to understanding how VR bear on the brain , scientist " do n’t really know what ’s going on , " state Mayank Mehta , a neuroscientist at UCLA .
" I would say this is reason for caution , not business - as - usual , " Mehta told Live Science .
alive Science make out to Samsung , but a company spokesperson declined to annotate .
Cybersickness
scientist have been aware of the potential side effects of VR organization for some time . A turn of studies have essay what is sometimes referred to as " cybersickness " or " sim sickness " ( short for model malady ) . These feelings explain why some hoi polloi feel sick in 3D flick .
" We think when you ’re walking around in the real world , you ’re catch input from multiple senses , and they ’re all in sodding agreement , " said Mehta , who studies how virtual surround affect the brains of rat , at the spirit level of single neurons .
In practical reality , however , " the nous is expect everything to be in sync , but thing are not in sync , " he said ; the virtual humanity is " incomplete . "
Einstein shutdown
In Mehta ’s studies , he and his workfellow work up special setups with tiny treadmills that the animals could run on while exploring a virtual room . The rats appear to behave normally in the apparatus , but when the research worker search at the animals ' brains , they " found really surprising hooey , " Mehta said .
For model , in the hippocampus , a brain region involved in function an individual ’s location in blank space ( as well as many other functions , including retention , determine and dream ) , 60 pct ofneurons simply " shut down"while the animals were in virtual reality , Mehta found .
And it gets worse . Many of the neurons that do n’t shut down show abnormal figure of activity . In the actual world , these neurons make a mathematical function of space , but in the virtual macrocosm , " the map of space is completely destroyed , " Mehta said .
Mehta suspects that the part of the brain involved in keeping track of an animal ’s location is so exquisitely - tune up that it " expects " everything to be in sync . " I conceive that ’s why these nerve cell are shutting down " in virtual world , he said .
But is it speculative for the animals that the hippocampus shuts down in virtual reality ? " We do n’t have intercourse the long - term consequences , " Mehta say .
" When billion of us are using practical world 6 to 7 hour a day , " he said , " we may want to look [ into ] it , given that it ’s such a big change . "
