ABSTRACT
The growth in technical and computing capabilities have increased the ability to design complex software systems capable of producing highly immersive environments, specifically virtual environments (VEs). Although it has many definitions, a virtual environment can be described as a technologically created, immersive, and interactive space designed to invoke the sensory systems into perceiving a desired condition or situation. Advances in VE technology have created interest for applications of this technology in training, education, industrial applications and entertainment (see chaps. 42-56, this volume). The growing applications warrant ergonomic analysis, particularly as this becomes a common tool in the work environment. Just as in any work environment, it is important to understand the impact that a tool or procedure is having on users from many perspectives. Research has shown that the use of VEs is a risk in the development of ergonomic related disorders such as repetitive stress injury (Belea, 1996). Definitive techniques are available for reducing the risk of these types of injuries in the “real world,” and this knowledge can be extrapolated in the virtual world before these injuries escalate.
