Sudden visual perturbations induce postural responses in a virtual reality environment

Abstract

Virtual reality environments can be manipulated allowing controlled visual disturbances. These environmental manipulations (textures, objects, and movements) can affect postural control by creating a sensory mismatch, making it possible to investigate multisensory reweighting. VR integration with motion capture equipment is relatively new; these environmental factors have not received sufficient attention to be employed in postural related research and in VR environment development. Seventeen subjects performed 48 trials of forward and backward translational optic flow in single and double support presented on a head mounted display. Each condition was presented in three different velocities: 3 m/s, 5 m/s and 8 m/s. The effect on center of pressure distance and velocity were analyzed. A repeated measures, counterbalanced experimental design was used. Center of pressure distance travelled increased in the single support condition (p < 0.001). The largest single support postural disturbance was observed in the slowest velocity and longest duration (3 m/s) and the smallest in the fastest velocity shortest duration (8 m/s). A slow optic flow velocity and higher duration of sudden visual translations generates greater disruption to postural control in single support. The velocity and duration of perturbations need to be carefully considered when studying human postural control and the design of VR environments.

Keywords:

• Virtual reality
• balance
• center of pressure
• optic flow
• perturbation
• multisensory

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Data availability statement

Data is available at the following DOI: 10.17632/g9r566x43s.1

Additional information

Notes on contributors

David Phillips

David Phillips is an assistant professor in the Department of Exercise Science and Physical Education at Montclair State University. He completed his PhD in Human Physiology at the University of Oregon in 2017. His current research focuses on neuromuscular coordination of the lower extremity, virtual reality applications in kinesiology, and shoulder proprioception.

Fernando Vanderlinde dos Santos

Markus Santoso is an assistant professor at Digital Worlds Institute, University of Florida. He obtained his PhD from Dongseo University, South Korea in 2013. He cotinued his research as a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Fraunhofer IDMT under a funding scheme from the European Research Consortium for Informatics and Mathematics (ERCIM). He completed his second postdoctoral fellowship with the LINDSAY Virtual Human Lab at the University of Calgary, Canada. His main research interests are in Augmented and Virtual Reality and on its implementation for medical applications such as enhancing clinical activities, and improving learning experiences.

Markus Santoso

Fernando Vanderlinde dos Santos holds a Physical Therapy degree from Universidade do Estado de Santa Catarina, Brazil, and a Ph.D. in Biomechanics and Movement Science from the University of Delaware. His Ph.D. work was in multisensory fusion and repetitive head impact in college athletes. He is a Senior Product Engineer for Bertec Corporation developing products for healthcare, research, and training with an emphasis in Biomechanics and multisensory fusion. His scientific interest includes extended reality and its effects in balance, for training and/or patient population..