Balancing Presence and Safety using Reaction Time in Mixed Reality

Mixed Reality (MR) offers immersive experiences across various fields. Presence, the sensation of "being there," is crucial for immersion. While high presence enhances user engagement, it also raises cognitive and physical safety concerns. This paper explores these dual safety concerns associated with high presence in MR environments. Recent work has shown that reaction time is an effective measure of presence, providing real-time, objective insights into cognitive load and engagement levels, with faster reaction times indicating higher presence. We propose using reaction time as a real-time metric to monitor and manage cognitive and physical safety issues in MR environments. We address the three key research questions: (1) the impact of presence on safety, (2) the effectiveness of reaction time as a safety measure, and (3) the challenges of maintaining safety without compromising experience.