DBOX Virtual Reality Health and Safety Guidelines
Use DBOX, Inc.’s virtual reality software (the “VR Product”) at your own risk. Read the warnings below carefully before using the VR Product to reduce the risk of personal injury, discomfort, or property damage while using the VR Product.
1. The VR Product creates an immersive virtual reality experience that distracts you from and completely blocks your view of your actual surroundings. Always be aware of your surroundings when using VR Product. Use caution to avoid injury. Take special care to ensure that you are not near other people, objects, open doorways, stairs, balconies, windows, furniture, ceiling fans, light fixtures, or other items that you could bump into or knock down when using—or immediately after using—the VR Product. Remove any tripping and choking hazards from the area before use. Do not handle sharp or otherwise dangerous objects while using VR Product. Never use the VR Product in situations that require attention, such as walking, driving, or bicycling, or any other situation that would prevent you from obeying traffic or safety laws.
2. Do not use the VR Product while in a moving vehicle such as a car, bus, or train, as this can increase your susceptibility to adverse symptoms.
3. A comfortable virtual reality experience requires an unimpaired sense of motion and balance. Do not use the VR Product if you are tired or need sleep, under the influence of alcohol or drugs, hung-over, experiencing digestive problems, under emotional stress or anxiety, or suffering from cold, flu, headaches, migraines, or earaches, as this can increase your susceptibility to adverse symptoms.
4. Ease into the use of the VR Product to allow your body to adjust. At first, only use the VR Product for a few minutes at a time, and only increase your use of the VR Product gradually as you grow accustomed to virtual reality. Looking around when first entering virtual reality can help you adjust to any small differences between your real-world movements and the virtual reality experience.
5. Take at least a 10 to 15-minute break every 30 minutes, even if you don’t think you need it. Each person is different, so take more frequent and longer breaks if you experience discomfort.
6. The equipment with which you are using the VR Product may have a “pass-through” feature that would permit you to temporarily see your surroundings for brief real world interaction. You should always remove the equipment for any situation that requires attention or coordination.
7. Anyone who has had a seizure, loss of awareness, or other symptoms linked to an epileptic condition should consult a doctor before using the VR Product.
8. Consult a doctor before using the VR Product if you are pregnant, elderly, have pre-existing binocular vision abnormalities or psychiatric disorders, or suffer from a heart condition or other serious medical conditions.
9. Immediately discontinue use of the VR Product if you, or anyone whose use of the VR Product you are supervising, experience any of the following symptoms: seizures; loss of awareness; eye strain; eye or muscle twitching; involuntary movements; altered, blurred, or double vision or other visual abnormalities; dizziness; disorientation; impaired balance; impaired hand-eye coordination; excessive sweating; increased salivation; nausea; lightheadedness; discomfort or pain in the head or eyes; drowsiness; fatigue; or any symptoms similar to motion sickness.
10. Symptoms of virtual reality exposure can persist and become more apparent hours after use. These post-use symptoms can include the above listed symptoms, as well as excessive drowsiness and decreased ability to multi-task. These symptoms may put you at an increased risk of injury when engaging in normal activities in the real world. Do not drive, operate machinery, or engage in other visually or physically demanding activities that have potentially serious consequences (i.e., activities in which experiencing any symptoms could lead to death, personal injury, or property damage), or other activities that require unimpaired balance and hand-eye coordination until you have fully recovered from all adverse symptoms.
11. Be mindful of the content you were using prior to the onset of any symptoms because you may be more prone to certain symptoms based upon the content used.
12. Do not use the VR Product until all symptoms have completely subsided for several hours. Make sure you have properly configured equipment with which you are using the VR Product before resuming.
13. See a doctor if you have any serious and/or persistent symptoms.
14. This product should not be used by children under the age of 13. Adults should monitor children ages 13 and older who are using or have used the VR Product for any of the symptoms described above, and should limit the time children spend using the VR Product and ensure they take breaks during use. Prolonged use should be avoided, as this could negatively impact hand-eye coordination, balance, and multi-tasking ability. Adults should monitor children closely during and after use of VR Product for any decrease in these abilities.
15. Listening to sound at high volumes can cause irreparable damage to your hearing. Background noise, as well as continued exposure to high volume levels, can make sounds seem quieter than they are. Due to the immersive nature of the VR Product, do not use the virtual reality equipment with the sound at a high volume in order to maintain awareness of your surroundings and to reduce the risk of hearing damage.
16. To reduce the risk of visual discomfort, adjust the inter-pupillary distance (IPD) on the equipment with which you will use, or are using, the VR Product, if any, for each user before he or she uses the device. Do not look directly at bright light while you are using the VR Product, as doing so may damage your eyesight.
17. Always refer to the health and safety warnings issued by the manufacturer and/or retailer of the equipment with which you will use, or are using, the VR Product, with special attention to those warnings that relate to the proper use of the device, use by children, medical risks such as seizure or repetitive stress injury, potential interference with medical devices including cardiac pacemakers, properly caring for and maintaining the hardware, and any other risks and hazards associated with using the equipment. Follow all operating instructions provided with the virtual reality device and review the hardware and software recommendations for the equipment.