Immersive virtual reality for learning exoskeleton-like virtual walking: a feasibility study

Purpose. Virtual Reality (VR) has proven to be an effective tool for motor (re)learning. Furthermore, with the current commercialization of low-cost head-mounted displays (HMDs), immersive virtual reality (IVR) has become a viable rehabilitation tool. Nonetheless, it is still an open question how im...

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Authors: Rodríguez Fernández, Antonio|||0000-0002-6272-8326, van den Berg, Alex, Cucinella, Salvatore Luca, Lobo Prat, Joan, Font Llagunes, Josep Maria|||0000-0002-7192-2980, Marchal-Crespo, Laura
Format: article
Publication Date:2024
Country:España
Institution:Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC)
Repository:UPCommons. Portal del coneixement obert de la UPC
Language:English
OAI Identifier:oai:upcommons.upc.edu:2117/418073
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/2117/418073
https://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12984-024-01482-y
Access Level:Open access
Keyword:Augmented feedback
Immersive virtual reality
Head-mounted display
Lower-limb
Motor learning
Person perspective
Spinal cord injury
Visual feedback
Virtual reality
Walking
Wearable exoskeleton
Àrees temàtiques de la UPC::Enginyeria biomèdica
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spelling Immersive virtual reality for learning exoskeleton-like virtual walking: a feasibility studyRodríguez Fernández, Antonio|||0000-0002-6272-8326van den Berg, AlexCucinella, Salvatore LucaLobo Prat, JoanFont Llagunes, Josep Maria|||0000-0002-7192-2980Marchal-Crespo, LauraAugmented feedbackImmersive virtual realityHead-mounted displayLower-limbMotor learningPerson perspectiveSpinal cord injuryVisual feedbackVirtual realityWalkingWearable exoskeletonÀrees temàtiques de la UPC::Enginyeria biomèdicaPurpose. Virtual Reality (VR) has proven to be an effective tool for motor (re)learning. Furthermore, with the current commercialization of low-cost head-mounted displays (HMDs), immersive virtual reality (IVR) has become a viable rehabilitation tool. Nonetheless, it is still an open question how immersive virtual environments should be designed to enhance motor learning, especially to support the learning of complex motor tasks. An example of such a complex task is triggering steps while wearing lower-limb exoskeletons as it requires the learning of several sub-tasks, e.g., shifting the weight from one leg to the other, keeping the trunk upright, and initiating steps. This study aims to find the necessary elements in VR to promote motor learning of complex virtual gait tasks. Methods. In this study, we developed an HMD-IVR-based system for training to control wearable lower-limb exoskeletons for people with sensorimotor disorders. The system simulates a virtual walking task of an avatar resembling the sub-tasks needed to trigger steps with an exoskeleton. We ran an experiment with forty healthy participants to investigate the effects of first- (1PP) vs. third-person perspective (3PP) and the provision (or not) of concurrent visual feedback of participants’ movements on the walking performance – namely number of steps, trunk inclination, and stride length –, as well as the effects on embodiment, usability, cybersickness, and perceived workload.Results. We found that all participants learned to execute the virtual walking task. However, no clear interaction of perspective and visual feedback improved the learning of all sub-tasks concurrently. Instead, the key seems to lie in selecting the appropriate perspective and visual feedback for each sub-task. Notably, participants embodied the avatar across all training modalities with low cybersickness levels. Still, participants’ cognitive load remained high, leading to marginally acceptable usability scores. Conclusions. Our findings suggest that to maximize learning, users should train sub-tasks sequentially using the most suitable combination of person’s perspective and visual feedback for each sub-task. This research offers valuable insights for future developments in IVR to support individuals with sensorimotor disorders in improving the learning of walking with wearable exoskeletons.This research has been partially supported by PhD Grant No. 2020 FI_B1 00195 funded by the Agency for Management of University and Research Grants (AGAUR) and by grant No. 2021 SGR 01052 funded by the Agency for Management of University and Research Grants (AGAUR) and the Catalan Ministry of Research and Universities. This work was also supported by the Dutch Research Council (NWO) Talent Program VIDI TTW 2020Peer Reviewed20242024-11-0120242024-11-15journal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501VoRhttp://purl.org/coar/version/c_970fb48d4fbd8a85info:eu-repo/semantics/articleapplication/pdfhttps://hdl.handle.net/2117/418073https://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12984-024-01482-yreponame:UPCommons. Portal del coneixement obert de la UPCinstname:Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC)Inglésengopen accesshttp://purl.org/coar/access_right/c_abf2Attribution 4.0 Internationalhttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessoai:upcommons.upc.edu:2117/4180732026-05-27T15:37:01Z
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Immersive virtual reality for learning exoskeleton-like virtual walking: a feasibility study
title Immersive virtual reality for learning exoskeleton-like virtual walking: a feasibility study
spellingShingle Immersive virtual reality for learning exoskeleton-like virtual walking: a feasibility study
Rodríguez Fernández, Antonio|||0000-0002-6272-8326
Augmented feedback
Immersive virtual reality
Head-mounted display
Lower-limb
Motor learning
Person perspective
Spinal cord injury
Visual feedback
Virtual reality
Walking
Wearable exoskeleton
Àrees temàtiques de la UPC::Enginyeria biomèdica
title_short Immersive virtual reality for learning exoskeleton-like virtual walking: a feasibility study
title_full Immersive virtual reality for learning exoskeleton-like virtual walking: a feasibility study
title_fullStr Immersive virtual reality for learning exoskeleton-like virtual walking: a feasibility study
title_full_unstemmed Immersive virtual reality for learning exoskeleton-like virtual walking: a feasibility study
title_sort Immersive virtual reality for learning exoskeleton-like virtual walking: a feasibility study
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Rodríguez Fernández, Antonio|||0000-0002-6272-8326
van den Berg, Alex
Cucinella, Salvatore Luca
Lobo Prat, Joan
Font Llagunes, Josep Maria|||0000-0002-7192-2980
Marchal-Crespo, Laura
author Rodríguez Fernández, Antonio|||0000-0002-6272-8326
author_facet Rodríguez Fernández, Antonio|||0000-0002-6272-8326
van den Berg, Alex
Cucinella, Salvatore Luca
Lobo Prat, Joan
Font Llagunes, Josep Maria|||0000-0002-7192-2980
Marchal-Crespo, Laura
author_role author
author2 van den Berg, Alex
Cucinella, Salvatore Luca
Lobo Prat, Joan
Font Llagunes, Josep Maria|||0000-0002-7192-2980
Marchal-Crespo, Laura
author2_role author
author
author
author
author
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv Augmented feedback
Immersive virtual reality
Head-mounted display
Lower-limb
Motor learning
Person perspective
Spinal cord injury
Visual feedback
Virtual reality
Walking
Wearable exoskeleton
Àrees temàtiques de la UPC::Enginyeria biomèdica
topic Augmented feedback
Immersive virtual reality
Head-mounted display
Lower-limb
Motor learning
Person perspective
Spinal cord injury
Visual feedback
Virtual reality
Walking
Wearable exoskeleton
Àrees temàtiques de la UPC::Enginyeria biomèdica
description Purpose. Virtual Reality (VR) has proven to be an effective tool for motor (re)learning. Furthermore, with the current commercialization of low-cost head-mounted displays (HMDs), immersive virtual reality (IVR) has become a viable rehabilitation tool. Nonetheless, it is still an open question how immersive virtual environments should be designed to enhance motor learning, especially to support the learning of complex motor tasks. An example of such a complex task is triggering steps while wearing lower-limb exoskeletons as it requires the learning of several sub-tasks, e.g., shifting the weight from one leg to the other, keeping the trunk upright, and initiating steps. This study aims to find the necessary elements in VR to promote motor learning of complex virtual gait tasks. Methods. In this study, we developed an HMD-IVR-based system for training to control wearable lower-limb exoskeletons for people with sensorimotor disorders. The system simulates a virtual walking task of an avatar resembling the sub-tasks needed to trigger steps with an exoskeleton. We ran an experiment with forty healthy participants to investigate the effects of first- (1PP) vs. third-person perspective (3PP) and the provision (or not) of concurrent visual feedback of participants’ movements on the walking performance – namely number of steps, trunk inclination, and stride length –, as well as the effects on embodiment, usability, cybersickness, and perceived workload.Results. We found that all participants learned to execute the virtual walking task. However, no clear interaction of perspective and visual feedback improved the learning of all sub-tasks concurrently. Instead, the key seems to lie in selecting the appropriate perspective and visual feedback for each sub-task. Notably, participants embodied the avatar across all training modalities with low cybersickness levels. Still, participants’ cognitive load remained high, leading to marginally acceptable usability scores. Conclusions. Our findings suggest that to maximize learning, users should train sub-tasks sequentially using the most suitable combination of person’s perspective and visual feedback for each sub-task. This research offers valuable insights for future developments in IVR to support individuals with sensorimotor disorders in improving the learning of walking with wearable exoskeletons.
publishDate 2024
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2024
2024-11-01
2024
2024-11-15
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv journal article
http://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501
VoR
http://purl.org/coar/version/c_970fb48d4fbd8a85
dc.type.openaire.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
format article
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv https://hdl.handle.net/2117/418073
https://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12984-024-01482-y
url https://hdl.handle.net/2117/418073
https://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12984-024-01482-y
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv Inglés
eng
language_invalid_str_mv Inglés
language eng
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv open access
http://purl.org/coar/access_right/c_abf2
Attribution 4.0 International
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
dc.rights.openaire.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
rights_invalid_str_mv open access
http://purl.org/coar/access_right/c_abf2
Attribution 4.0 International
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv application/pdf
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv reponame:UPCommons. Portal del coneixement obert de la UPC
instname:Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC)
instname_str Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC)
reponame_str UPCommons. Portal del coneixement obert de la UPC
collection UPCommons. Portal del coneixement obert de la UPC
repository.name.fl_str_mv
repository.mail.fl_str_mv
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