Design to Divide Attention: An Exploration of Designing Virtual Reality Simulations of Accidents

This project explores whether and how accidents can be simulated in virtual reality (VR). The divided attention of workers in hazardous workplaces (e.g., construction sites) can lead to accidents. Meanwhile, simulating accidents is different from simulating injuries, because accidents involve human errors. The current project focuses on designing VR scenarios that divide users’ attention, cause them to make mistakes, and then lead to accidents. Specifically, the goal of the project is to simulate accidents caused by divided attention to enhance users’ attitudes toward relevant safety training and procedure. We also reviewed and discussed the challenges of designing VR scenarios that enable users to experience divided attention. Through a reflective exercise, we generated several patterns that could be generalizable to other simulation scenarios.