Age and Sex Effects on Cybersickness in Virtual Forklift Training: An Exploratory Study with Practical Mitigation Strategies

OCCUPATIONAL APPLICATIONSWe investigated the effects of age and sex on cybersickness susceptibility during Virtual Reality (VR)-based forklift training, using an order picker forklift truck consisting of basic and common forklift driving scenarios. Cybersickness occurrence was assessed using the Simulator Sickness Questionnaire (SSQ) and analyzed with the survival analysis method. Our analysis indicated strong vulnerability among older adults yet no significant influence of biological sex on cybersickness susceptibility. As emerging technologies like VR are being integrated into different domains of occupational training, the issue of cybersickness can disproportionately disadvantage certain demographic groups, making training programs inaccessible. We outline future design considerations to enhance the inclusivity and accessibility of VR forklift training platforms.