Efficacy of augmented reality-based virtual hiking in cardiorespiratory endurance: a pilot study

Exergames can be used to overcome a sedentary lifestyle. Virtual Reality (VR) has made exergames successful, and they can be used to increase heart rate, but some limitations are found, such as the adaptation of the heart rate in exergames to the player's fitness profile. VR technology has been used to simulate virtual cycling and walking experiences. We designed and developed an exergame' Virtual Levadas' in a cave-based VR environment to simulate the Levadas hiking tracks. They are the main attraction for tourists in Madeira Island, Portugal. This study's main objective was to assess player exertion, usability, participation, and realism of the simulation of the Levadas tracks. We performed this study with 13 participants who played Virtual Levadas for 6 minutes and found a significant increase in player's average physical activity and heart rate. Overall, our results demonstrate that Virtual Levada's exergame provides a higher exertion level, immersion, and realism of the virtual environment than the literature.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Usability and Acceptance of Exergames Using Different Types of Training among Older Hypertensive Patients in a Simulated Mixed Reality

Virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR) exergames are promising tools for increasing training motivation. However, the use of exergames with mixed reality (MR) headsets remains under-researched. Older adults with hypertension could also benefit from the increased training adherence associated with MR. Endurance and strength endurance exercises are recommended for this group to lower blood pressure. The aim of the preliminary study (n = 22) was to compare the usability and acceptance of two exergames, which represent two different training types-strength endurance training (SET) and endurance training (ET). The developed exergame prototypes were applied in "simulated MR" using a VR head-mounted display. We examined the following outcomes: usability (TUI), intention to use (TUI), subjective task load (NASA-TLX), frustration (NASA-TLX), and presence (PQ). The results showed that frustration was significantly greater in the ET than in the SET (p = 0.038). Presence was significantly higher in the SET (p = 0.002). No significant differences in usability and acceptance were found in the exergames. The results indicate that usability and acceptance are not related to the type of training when utilizing MR exergames. Whether the results are transferable with a real MR headset must be determined in further research

Modelling Physical Activity in Virtual Reality Games

This thesis was inspired by the possibility that virtual reality (VR) games, which are designed primarily to be fun, could also provide exercise. It aimed to gain insights about this by exploring whether people can gain beneficial levels of exercise while playing VR games and how they might use VR games for exercise over several weeks. Furthermore, this work also focuses on how the level of physical activity that can be captured during gameplay and how a long-term user model can be created for individual players, as a foundation for supporting the user in gaining personal informatics insights about their exertion as well as being used for personalisation and external recommendation for VR games. The key contributions of this research are: • The first study of a diverse set of commercial VR games to gain insights about the level of actual and perceived exertion players have. • The first long-term study of VR games in a sedentary workplace to gain insights about the ways people utilise it and the levels of exertion they gain. • Based on reflections on the above studies, this thesis presents a framework and guidelines for designing physical activity VR games. • The systematic creation of a user model for representing a person’s long-term fitness and their VR gameplay, exertion and preferences. • A study of the ways that people can scrutinise their long-term personal informatics user model of exertion from VR game play and incidental walking. These contributions provide a foundation for future researchers and industry practitioners to design VR games that provide beneficial levels of exertion and allow people to gain insights into the relative contribution of the exercise from gameplay

Exploring movement and enjoyment in VR games

Physical activity and health is declining globally as more and more people adopt increasingly sedentary lifestyles. This decline comes with many health-related risks in people of all ages and demographics. Video games are often seen as a large cause of this, which is why many game developers and companies have attempted to combat this stigma by creating games and systems that provide means of exercise while gaming. These types of games are commonly known as exergames, and Virtual Reality is the newest technology that is attempting to make use of exergaming with immersive and engaging games. Performing physical activity that has a high potential to be effective, engaging, and enjoyable for users, from the comfort of their own homes, is a proposition that VR gaming has the potential to fulfill for many. For this purpose, this research seeks to explore the possibilities of enjoyable physical activity in VR exergames and find answers for which design themes are especially effective for enjoyable movement and long-term engagement. The research was done with a basis on phenomenology and phenomenography, which are both studies heavily based on experiences of specific phenomena. Five different VR games were chosen for testing for the study and analyzed based on the provided movement and activity, as well as enjoyment. This data was measured and gathered via heart rate tracking, and a focus on the experiences of flow in VR. Additionally, an open written interview was performed with a participant with years of previous experience in VR gaming to gather more data for an outside experience view. The results of these experiences and feedback were then analyzed and compared to previous research on the subjects of VR enjoyment and exercise. The conclusions gathered from the research were formed into a list detailing beneficial design themes that help improve enjoyability and engaging movement in VR exergames. The provided list can serve as a helpful tool to both developers and future research on the matter of enjoyability and engaging movement in VR games, from a user experience perspective. Furthermore, Virtual Reality games can be said to positively increase engagement and enjoyability for physical activity when designed well. Future research can expand on this study by widening the scope of participants and including a larger variety of VR games to gather more data on user experiences.Fyysinen liikkuvuus ja hyvinvointi on laskusuunnassa maailmanlaajuisesti, sillä yhä useampi henkilö adoptoi elämäntyylejä, joissa liikkuvuus on vähäistä. Tämä tuo mukanaa monia hyvin-vointiin liittyviä riskejä kaikille ikäluokille. Videopelit nimetään usein yhdeksi isoksi syyksi yleiseen liikkuvuuden vähentymiseen maailmalla. Pelintekijät ja pelifirmat ovat pyrkineet taistelemaan tätä vastaan kehittämällä systeemejä ja pelejä, jotka yhdistävät pelaamisen ja liikku-misen. Tämän tyylisiä pelejä kutsutaan yleisesti nimellä exergames, joka tulee englanninkielen sanoista exercise, eli liikunta, ja game, eli peli. Virtuaalinen todellisuus (VR) on uusin teknologia, joka pyrkii hyödyntämään liikkuvuutta peleissä. Idea kotona suoritettavasta tehokkaasta ja nautinnollisesta fyysisestä liikkunnasta, joka viehättää käyttäjän mukaansa on ehdotus, jonka VR pelaaminen mahdollistaa monelle. Tämä tutkinto pyrkii tätä tarkoitusta varten tutkimaan liikkuvuutta ja nautintoa VR-peleissä, ja löytämään pelimekaniikkoja ja teemoja, jotka mahdollistavat suuremman nautinnon ja tehokkaamman liikkumisen näissä peleissä. Tämän tutkimuksen menetelmänä toimii yhdistelmä fenomenologiaa ja fenomenografiaa, jotka ovat laajalti omiin ja muiden suoriin kokemuksiin perustuvia laadullisia menetelmiä. Tutkimukseen on otettu testattavaksi viisi eri VR-peliä, joita tulen itse pelaamaan ja keräämään tietoa ja kokemuksia niiden nautinnollisuudesta ja liikkuvuudesta. Liikkuvuudesta kerätään tieto sykemittarin avulla, ja nautinnollisuuden kokemuksien perustana toimii laajalti tut-kittu flow-malli, joka mittaa erilaisia tuntemuksia aktiviteeteissä. Tämän lisäksi tutkimuksessa suoritetaan kirjallinen haastattelu ulkopuolisen henkilön kanssa, jolla on vuosien kokemuksia VR-peleistä. Näistä tutkimuksista löydetyt tiedot kerätään ja analysoidaan, sekä verrataan aiempiin tutkimuksiin ja löydöksiin VR liikunnan alalla. Tutkimuksen löydöksistä luotiin lista, jossa luetellaan hyödyllisiä teemoja liikkuvuuden ja nau-tinnollisuuden suhteen VR-peleissä. Pelintekijät ja tutkijat voivat hyödyntää tätä listaa vertausarvollisesti pelinkehityksessä ja muissa VR liikuntaan liittyvissä tutkimuksissa. Nämä teemat antavat erityisesti käyttäjäkokemuksellisesti hyödyllistä tietoa VR-pelien liikkuvuudesta ja nautinnollisuudesta. Tämän lisäksi tässä tutkimuksessa voidaan vahvistaa löydöksiä VR liikunnan yleisestä hyödyllisyydestä nautinnollisen ja houkuttelevan liikunnan edistämisessä. Jatkotutkimuksissa voidaan testata useampia VR-pelejä sekä laajentaa osallistujamäärää ja kerätä laajemmin käyttäjäkokemuksia

The potential of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) to engage people with physical activity

Introduction: Sufficient physical activity (PA) reduces the risk of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and improves physical and psychosocial health. The levels of PA in the UK and elsewhere in the world remain low for all age groups. Novel strategies for engaging people in PA are required to tackle the epidemic of inactivity. Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) is computer-generated, interactive 3D environments that offer users unique immersive experiences of PA. / Aims: The aim of this mixed-methods, staged research project (vEngage) was to test the potential of VR and AR to engage people in PA. This work was a Medical Research Council (MRC) funded partnership between academic researchers (UCL, Coventry, and Anglia Ruskin Universities) and an industry partner ‘Six to Start’. / Methods: I surveyed and interviewed the users of the world’s most popular running app Zombies, Run! (ZR) (Studies 1 and 2). I then conducted a scoping review in a form of a qualitative analysis of game reviews on popular VR exercise games (exergames) and described positive and negative features, current players of VR exergames report, as important motivators for exergame playing (Study 3). In parallel, the vEngage team set up a steering committee of adolescents (13-17 years) and their parents and interviewed both groups about PA, VR, AR, and exergaming (Studies 4a and 4b). We used the results from these studies to inform our VR exergame intervention (a game called Walls - Study 5) which we developed together with expert games designers Six to Start. / Results: VR is a promising strategy for engaging adolescents in PA but barriers to use remain, including awareness, availability, affordability, and accessibility. The results showed people have a positive attitude to exergaming, with a preference for narratives (engaging story, role-play). This was particularly supported by both ZR studies, where the narrative was the most motivating factor for engagement in PA for all age groups. VR and AR exergaming can distract people from the negative aspects of performing PA such as pain or repetition. / Conclusions: This research project was the first VR study that used principles of co-design in creating a digital VR exergame intervention for adolescents, by engaging adolescents themselves in the exergame design. AR and VR exergaming has great potential to engage a wide range of people in PA and can be particularly useful as means for PA engagement in a time of world pandemics such as the recent Covid-19 pandemic, where gym and fitness facilities are not accessible for unspecified periods of time

Comparative Analysis of The Effects Of Virtual Reality Active Video Game And Controller-Free Active Video Game Play On Physiological Response, Perceived Exertion, And Hedonic Experience

Over 60% of US adults are overweight or obese. Sedentary lifestyles are considered major contributors to the high rates and increasing prevalence of obesity. Physical activity is a critical component in shifting from sedentary lifestyles. Studies indicate that less than half of U.S. adults meet the CDC/ACSM physical activity recommendations. Interactive video games can increase PA, but no study has yet assessed physiologic effort, hedonics, and perceived exertion for playing immersive virtual reality (VR) and controller-free screen-based active video games (AVGs), compared to treadmill walking and resting. We ran 25 subjects (9 female, 16 male) in 10-minute sessions of five conditions. Head Mounted Display VR: Oculus (Fruit Ninja and Boxing), Screen-based AVG: Kinect (Fruit Ninja and Boxing), and Treadmill walking at 3 mph. One, six-condition (Rest, Treadmill 3.0, Kinect Boxing, Kinect Fruit Ninja, Oculus Boxing, Oculus Fruit Ninja) repeated-measures ANOVA was used to examine differences in HRmean. Three, five-condition (Treadmill 3.0, Kinect Boxing, Kinect Fruit Ninja, Oculus Boxing, Oculus Fruit Ninja) repeated-measures ANOVA were used to examine differences in HRpeak, ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) and Hedonics (Liking). Post hoc analyses using pairwise comparisons were used to further assess significant main effects of the condition. A Pearson\u27s product-moment correlation was run to assess the relationship between activity condition HRmean and RPE VR Boxing elicited the greatest physiological effort, producing vigorous-intensity PA. There was no significant difference in average heart rate for the Treadmill, Kinect Fruit Ninja, Kinect Boxing, and VR Fruit Ninja. Thus, the Kinect and VR sport and casual games are comparable to treadmill walking PA levels and qualify as moderate-intensity activity. The VR Fruit Ninja, VR Boxing, Kinect Fruit Ninja were the most enjoyed activities. Despite having the highest Heart rate and the highest self-reported Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE), VR Boxing was significantly more enjoyable than Treadmill Walking. There was no statistically significant correlation between Activity Condition HRmean and RPE. Both casual and sports VR and AVG activities are enjoyable activities for adults, stimulating moderate-to-vigorous activity through a traditionally sedentary medium. This research extends previous works in active video gaming effects on physiological cost, perceived exertion and hedonics and fills the gap relating virtual reality active video games. The significance of the research outcomes is that this analysis provides a scientifically validated approach to support the establishment of physical activity level goals and guidelines in the development of active video games as a response and/or remedy to address the sedentary lifestyles that are contributing to American and global obesity

Visualization and Interaction Technologies in Serious and Exergames for Cognitive Assessment and Training: A Survey on Available Solutions and Their Validation

Exergames and serious games, based on standard personal computers, mobile devices and gaming consoles or on novel immersive Virtual and Augmented Reality techniques, have become popular in the last few years and are now applied in various research fields, among which cognitive assessment and training of heterogeneous target populations. Moreover, the adoption of Web based solutions together with the integration of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning algorithms could bring countless advantages, both for the patients and the clinical personnel, as allowing the early detection of some pathological conditions, improving the efficacy and adherence to rehabilitation processes, through the personalisation of training sessions, and optimizing the allocation of resources by the healthcare system. The current work proposes a systematic survey of existing solutions in the field of cognitive assessment and training. We evaluate the visualization and interaction technologies commonly adopted and the measures taken to fulfil the need of the pathological target populations. Moreover, we analyze how implemented solutions are validated, i.e. The chosen experimental designs, data collection and analysis. Finally, we consider the availability of the applications and raw data to the large community of researchers and medical professionals and the actual application of proposed solutions in the standard clinical practice. Despite the potential of these technologies, research is still at an early stage. Although the recent release of accessible immersive virtual reality headsets and the increasing interest on vision-based techniques for tracking body and hands movements, many studies still rely on non-immersive virtual reality (67.2%), mainly mobile and personal computers, and standard gaming tools for interactions (41.5%). Finally, we highlight that although the interest of research community in this field is increasingly higher, the sharing of dataset (10.6%) and implemented applications (3.8%) should be promoted and the number of healthcare structures which have successfully introduced the new technological approaches in the treatment of their host patients is limited (10.2%)

Exploring the potential of VR games as exercise

Abstract. The technology behind virtual reality has achieved the point that anyone can buy the equipment for themselves to use at home. The world-wide pandemic in 2020 has forced people to stay home and avoid public places. Pandemic restrictions provide the opportunity for novel ways to exercise. One way is to play exergames. This thesis discusses how different genres of VR games vary in the sense of perceived and observed exercise intensity and self-reported motivation. Participants’ willingness to play and to recommend VR games as a form of an exercise is studied. This thesis also discusses the conflicts between the physical and virtual worlds and how those influence the player experience when playing VR games. A mixed methods study was conducted. Nine participants’ heart rates were detected during the game sessions as well as their motion data from a head-mounted display and controllers. Notes were taken from the game sessions, and game sessions were also recorded. Thematic analysis was made based on the notes and video recordings. Nine participants played two games each, which were Half-life: Alyx, Portal Stories: VR, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR and Dance Collider. The games were played with HTC Vive VR equipment. After the game session, participants answered a survey. Participants had the most movements and highest heart rate curves during Dance Collider game sessions compared to the other three games. Women had more movements, and their heart rate increased more than men’s. Results from the thematic analysis showed a similar trend. Women participants especially felt that they got sweaty and their heart rate increased while playing Dance Collider. Thematic analysis reveals that all the participants enjoyed the game sessions. Answers from the survey show the same result, and fun was the highest rated motivational reason for participants to play VR games. Additionally, this study reveals that exercise was not a very highly rated motivational reason for playing VR games. Survey answers show that participants rather recommend VR exergames for others than play those themselves. Thematic analysis revealed interesting gender differences, and only women participant expressed excitement as well as also low self competence. Some participants were affected by a conflict between the virtual and physical worlds. Three participants collided with real world objects by accidentally touching something. One participant thought that she would not dare to play with VR equipment alone because she can not see her surroundings. Due to the low number of participants these results can not be generalized. The gender differences could be a theme for future work.VR pelien käyttäminen liikuntamuotona. Tiivistelmä. Virtuaalitodellisuuspelit ovat teknologialtaan saavuttaneet sen pisteen, että niistä voi nauttia kuka tahansa kotonaan. Tänä keväänä (2020) ihmiset ympäri maailman viettävät enemmän aikaa kotonaan maailman laajuisen pandemian vuoksi. Rajoitukset ovat avanneet ovia uudenlaisille liikkumismuodoille. Yksi näistä on liikkuminen virtuaalitodellisuuspelien parissa. Tässä tutkielmassa käsitellään, kuinka eri tyylilajien virtuaalitodellisuuspelit eroavat koetun ja havaitun liikunnan voimakkuuden ja motivaation tasolla. Tutkielmassa myös vastataan kysymykseen, kuinka todennäköisesti koehenkilö pelaisi virtuaalitodellisuuspelejä liikuntamuotona. Lisäksi tutkitaan mahdollisia ristiriitoja todellisen ja virtuaalimaailman välillä, ja sitä kuinka ne vaikuttavat pelaajakokemukseen virtuaalitodellisuuspelejä pelatessa. Tutkielma toteutettiin käyttäen useita menetelmiä. Yhdeksän koehenkilön syke mitattiin pelihetken aikana, pelihetket videokuvattiin, ja niistä tehtiin muistiinpanoja. Lisäksi mitattiin, paljonko virtuaalitodellisuuslasit ja ohjaimet liikkuivat pelihetken aikana. Videon ja muistiinpanojen pohjalta toteutettiin temaattinen analyysi. Koehenkilöt pelasivat kukin kahta eri peliä. Pelatut pelit olivat Half-life: Alyx, Portal Stories: VR, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR ja Dance Collider. Pelit pelattiin HTC Viven virtuaalitodellisuuslaitteistolla. Pelihetken päätyttyä koehenkilöt vastasit kyselyyn. Eniten koehenkilöt liikkuivat pelatessaan Dance Collider -peliä, jonka aikana myös heidän sykkeensä nousivat enemmän kuin muita pelejä pelatessa. Naiset liikkuivat miehiä enemmän, ja heidän sykkeensä nousivat enemmän. Temaattinen analyysi puoltaa sykkeestä ja liikkeestä saatuja tuloksia, sillä erityisesti naiskoehenkilöt kokivat hikoilevansa ja sykkeensä nousevan, kun he pelasivat Dance Collider -peliä. Temaattinen analyysi osoittaa, että kaikki koehenkilöt nauttivat pelihetkistä, ja kyselyn tuloksista käy ilmi, että eniten koehenkilöitä motivoi pelaamaan pelien hauskuus. Temaattisesta analyysistä paljastuu, että vain naiset kokivat positiivista jännitystä pelihetkissään, mutta myös vain naiset kokivat olevansa huonoja peleissä, joita pelasivat. Liikunta ei juurikaan motivoi koehenkilöitä pelaamaan virtuaalitodellisuuspelejä, ja koehenkilöt ennemminkin suosittelisivat sitä liikuntamuotona muille. Temaattisesta analyysistä havaitaan, että koehenkilöt kokivat ristiriidan todellisen ja virtuaalimaailman välillä. Näistä kolme osuivat pelihetkellä kattoon, sohvaan ja televisioon. Eräs koehenkilö koki pelottavana sen, ettei nähnyt ympärilleen. Vähäisen osallistujamäärän vuoksi tämän tutkielman havaintoja ei voida yleistää. Tulevaisuudessa voitaisiin tutkia sukupuolten välisiä eroja mielipiteissä ja käyttäytymisessä virtuaalipelejä pelatessa