Photo by Vladyslav Tobolenko on Unsplash
Project Overview: Enhancing Visual Comfort for High-Performance AR
At Microsoft’s Mixed Reality team, I contributed as a User Researcher to the development of an AR headset designed for demanding, long-duration use, including night vision capabilities in collaboration with the US Army. A critical user challenge with such devices, especially during active missions requiring quick movement and environmental scanning, is visual discomfort due to motion blur. This project aimed to directly address that by evaluating a potential solution.
Research Hypothesis & Methodology Design
Our primary hypothesis was that a new motion blur setting would reduce feelings of visual discomfort for users. To test this, I was involved in designing a rigorous A/B study:
- Custom Lab Environment: Participants would test the AR headset over two days within a custom-built lab environment, meticulously designed to simulate night light levels.
- A/B Testing: Participants would experience both the new motion blur setting and the old setting (blinded to which they were using).
- Simulated Mission Task: Users would navigate an obstacle course, actively scanning their environment, following moderator hand signals, and calling out letters to verify visual acuity.
- Measurement: Visual comfort levels would be quantified using the Simulator Sickness Questionnaire (SSQ), complemented by qualitative verbal feedback.
- Analysis Plan: A paired samples t-test was planned to measure differences in SSQ scores between conditions.
My Contribution: Study Design & Environment Build
Although the project was paused due to the acquisition of the division by Anduril Industries and subsequent contract layoffs before participant recruitment began, my contributions were crucial in the design phase:
- Study Protocol Development: I was directly responsible for developing the comprehensive study protocol, outlining the precise steps for participant interaction, data collection, and experimental conditions.
- Custom Lab Environment Design & Build: In close collaboration with a Human Factors Researcher and Hardware Testers, I designed and helped build the custom lab environment. This involved creating the physical space and setup necessary to accurately simulate the demanding conditions for testing.
Conclusion & Impact (Design Phase)
The goal of this research was to determine whether to include the new motion blur feature in the headset’s newest update, directly impacting user comfort during critical operations. While the study wasn’t completed, my work in the design phase was instrumental:
- I laid the foundational research design for a high-stakes A/B study that would have provided crucial data on user visual comfort.
- My collaboration in designing and building the custom test environment demonstrated my ability to translate complex technical requirements into a functional and realistic user testing space, even under sensitive conditions. This experience solidified my expertise in experimental design and test environment creation for specialized hardware.
