Exploring Human Factors in Virtual Worlds

“There is nothing like the real thing.” These are the words to a song sung by Diana Ross in 1969. These words have been uttered by many and despite the passage of time, they still hold true.
Even the most skeptical person must agree that there are certain circumstances where access to the real thing should be delayed and primary focus should be placed on the “fake thing." By a fake thing I mean virtual reality. The situation where this is true is where life over death choices must be made such as: airplane pilots, submarine engineers, nuclear power plant operator, space shuttle pilot, emergency response technician, open heart surgery, etc. The reason I feel virtual reality is a better choice in these types of situations is because no one wants to be the guinea pig while skills are being developed in these areas.

In order to make virtual reality more realistic, you need to explore human factors. To make virtual worlds more realistic will require the injection of sensory receptors. I am not sure whether technology has advanced enough to create such an environment but there is a chance that enough advancement has been made to install a few sensory receptors. But I don’t believe that we will be able to simulate all five senses. Without the simulation of all five senses true realism can not be achieved.

In an effort to create virtual world places, you must be cognizant of health related issues. If the virtual world is presented in way that is not common to the participant, then chances are the participant could suffer physically or mentally from the experiment. Therefore, it is important to use diverse methods of introducing virtual worlds in the workplace. Participants must be given the opportunity to get comfortable with the virtual environment before it is thrust upon them. Although with the advent of the Internet, computers and the gaming industry, introduction of simulated environments would probably more acceptable now than ever before.