Perception and Precision: How VST and OST Headsets Influence Task Execution

Gustavo Domingues; Leticia de Oliveira; Leina Yoshida; Lyncon Baez; Amadeo Neto; Vitor Vieira; Fabiana Peres; Fatima Nunes; Claudio Mauricio; João Marcelo Teixeira

doi:10.5753/jis.2025.5921

Authors

Gustavo Domingues UNIOESTE https://orcid.org/0009-0002-5510-2605
Leticia de Oliveira UNIOESTE https://orcid.org/0009-0000-2668-1922
Leina Yoshida UNIOESTE https://orcid.org/0009-0007-8750-7099
Lyncon Baez Itaipu Parquetec https://orcid.org/0009-0006-2191-185X
Amadeo Neto UFPE https://orcid.org/0009-0004-4755-2774
Vitor Vieira UNIOESTE https://orcid.org/0009-0008-3817-335X
Fabiana Peres EACH - USP / UNIOESTE https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3937-3432
Fatima Nunes EACH - USP https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0040-0752
Claudio Mauricio UNIOESTE https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2783-3988
João Marcelo Teixeira EACH - USP / UFPE https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7180-512X

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5753/jis.2025.5921

Keywords:

Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality HMD, OST, headset, immersion, perception

Abstract

Background: Head-mounted displays (HMDs) offer compelling virtual and augmented experiences, yet their influence on everyday accuracy and efficiency is not fully understood. In particular, video see-through (VST) and optical see-through (OST) devices may introduce perceptual distortions that degrade performance. Methods: We compared a VST HMD (Meta Quest 3) and an OST HMD (Microsoft HoloLens) in two representative motor tasks: dart throwing (far-field interaction) and bottle filling (near-field interaction). Eighty volunteers were split into two experiments, each using one HMD type. Every participant performed both tasks twice—once with the assigned HMD and once with normal vision. Completion time, dart-board error, water-level deviation, and selfreported visual-discomfort symptoms (eyestrain, blurred vision, nausea) were recorded. Results: Wearing either HMD lengthened task completion and reduced precision relative to the naked-eye baseline. Dart throws landed farther from the bullseye and showed greater score variability under HMD conditions. In the bottle-filling task, participants overfilled more frequently and deviated further from the target water level when using an HMD. Mild visual discomfort was reported by some users, whereas severe symptoms were rare. Conclusions: Both VST and
OST HMDs can impose perceptual and cognitive demands that impair speed and accuracy in common near- and farfield activities. Refining calibration procedures and real-time visual feedback may mitigate these effects; broader studies across diverse user groups and task domains are warranted.

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