Feasibility of using a fully immersive virtual reality system for kinematic data collection

Area of Science:

• Biomechanics
• Human-Computer Interaction
• Wearable Technology

Background:

• Commercially available virtual reality (VR) systems offer potential for simultaneous visual manipulation and kinematic data collection.
• Existing research often integrates VR with high-grade motion capture systems, but standalone VR for kinematic data is underexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To validate the HTC VIVE VR system as a standalone tool for kinematic data collection.
• To evaluate the accuracy and reliability of VIVE's position and orientation signal measurements.

Main Methods:

• Compared HTC VIVE controller and tracker accuracy against a Polhemus Liberty magnetic tracking system.
• Measured angular and translational error and signal drift using a rigid segment undergoing controlled rotations and translations.

Main Results:

• Mean angular errors for VIVE tracker and controller were below 0.4 degrees.
• Mean translational errors for both VIVE sensors were below 3 millimeters.
• While VIVE showed slightly higher drift than Liberty, all drift measures remained within acceptable low thresholds.

Conclusions:

• The HTC VIVE system demonstrates potential as a valid and reliable tool for kinematic data collection.
• Further investigation is required to ascertain VIVE's suitability for capturing extremely minute or high-volume movements.