Abstract

This thesis conducts the usability and cybersickness study of a virtual reality basketball game comparing two locomotion methods: controller-based movement and treadmill-based movement. The original goal of the project was to create a VR basketball training environment for practicing decision-making and court awareness, but early development revealed that locomotion comfort was a major problem, especially when using the treadmill. Because of this, the project focused on how different locomotion systems affect usability, comfort, realism, and cybersickness in a repeatable basketball scenario. The VR experience was built in Unity using the HTC Vive Pro 2 and consists of simplified pick-and-roll or pick-and-pop gameplay sequence. Participants completed the same basketball scenario using both controller-based locomotion and treadmill-based locomotion, then provided feedback through a survey. The results showed that controller-based locomotion was easier to learn, more predictable and more comfortable for participants, while treadmill-based locomotion created a more physically active and immersive experience but required more setup, adjustment, and introduced greater discomfort for some users. These findings suggest that more realistic locomotion is not always the most practical choice for VR sports training. For repeatable basketball training, comfort and usability must be prioritized before adding physical realism

Advisor

Guarnera, Heather

Department

Computer Science

Disciplines

Other Computer Sciences

Keywords

Locomotion, Basketball VR, VR Treadmill, VR headset

Publication Date

2026

Degree Granted

Bachelor of Arts

Document Type

Senior Independent Study Thesis

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