User suffers epileptic seizure in VR chat

When a VR user suffered an epileptic seizure in a VR chat, users initially interpreted the person's seizure as a joke and reacted accordingly.

Using virtual reality online in a chat with full-body tracking gear, which captures the movements of the entire body, allows users to communicate with each other almost as if they were real. However, a recent event shows the distress that could arise during medical emergencies. A user of the virtual reality chat app VRChat reportedly suffered an epileptic seizure while in the programme's virtual world, according to a YouTube video released for publication by the person concerned, incidentally. The user is said to have used full-body tracking gear, which is why other users were able to watch him fall to the ground twitching.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bIZ0kWpiD4&feature=youtu.be

Situation was not taken seriously at first

At first, users seemed to interpret the person's seizure as a joke and reacted accordingly. Some grotesquely began to play a "dying" animation over his body and dance. However, as soon as it became clear that this was a serious case - probably also because it was audible that the user was struggling to breathe - most took the situation seriously. Helpful tips Those users who had avatars with flashing or glaring lights were asked to step aside. Many expressed their displeasure as there was no one on the scene and it seemed impossible to help the person directly. When a user with the avatar of a corpulent, elderly man in underwear repeatedly sat on the sufferer's avatar, he was asked to stop. As soon as the sufferer regained consciousness and spoke into the chat that he was fine, the other users advised him to drink water, take off the headset and call someone who could help him. That was all they could do.

User does not actually suffer from photosensitivity

Photosensitive epilepsy describes a sensitivity to regularly changing light-dark contrasts. Thus, television, video games and the use of virtual reality can cause an epileptic seizure in those affected. The affected user later told Kotaku in an interview that he does not actually suffer from epilepsy, which could explain the lack of safety precautions in his case.

Source: derstandard / Youtube