Why It Matters…

Comfort is the limiting factor for VR session duration. Understanding perceptual thresholds for thermals enables hardware teams to make design decisions that keep users engaged longer.

Objective

Define the drivers and thresholds of thermal discomfort over time in VR hardware to guide thermal design decisions and improve long-term comfort in wearables.

Research Method

Controlled in-lab testing combined with perceptual ratings, physiological measurements, and quant/qual data collection.

Data Analytic Approach

• modeling of temperature + discomfort

• perceptual threshold analysis

• quant/qual metrics to evaluate user experience

• thematic analysis of user thermal perception

Results

• Identified thermal thresholds that trigger perceptual discomfort.

• Determined specific hardware design factors that may amplify discomfort unrelated to thermal heating properties