Seasickness: Understanding and Overcoming the Age-Old Challenge using Virtual Reality

For centuries, seasickness has plagued travelers, but now, virtual reality provides a modern solution. One key question we often hear is: “What do you actually see inside the New Zealand developed See-LEVEL headset?”

Part of the 360° view inside See-LEVEL VR headset

Inside the headset, users see a stable 360° horizon scene, updated 70 times per second, mimicking the visual cues of being on land. While the body still feels the vessel’s movement, the brain sees a steady environment, aligning sensory input. We experimented for two years to perfect this experience. We tested numerous scenes—from basic computer shapes to recreations of land-based environments. The most effective scene was a calming 360° landscape: horizon, sea, clouds, mountains, and trees. We found music and prompts (for breathing or calming anxiety) were also key. It took 80 software builds and repeated tests on real seasick individuals, out on boats in Lyttelton Harbour, New Zealand, until we got it right.

Our tests revealed that heart rates dropped by about 15 beats per minute almost immediately, and after six minutes, users started accepting the virtual environment. By around 12 minutes, most experienced full relief, as if they had stepped onto land. With over 400 units now in use worldwide, you can request a demonstration from a distributor, contact us at sales@seasick.com, or order online, backed by a full refund guarantee if seasickness isn’t relieved.

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