Modification of knee flexion during walking with use of a real-time personalized avatar

Visual feedback is used in different research areas, including clinical science and neuroscience. In this study, we investigated the influence of the visualization of a real-time personalized avatar on gait parameters, focusing on knee flexion during the swing phase. We also studied the impact of the modification of avatar's knee amplitude on kinematic of the knee of healthy subjects. For this purpose, we used an immersive reality treadmill equipment and developed a 3D avatar, with instantly modifiable parameters for knee flexion and extension (acceleration or deceleration). Fourteen healthy young adults, equipped with motion capture markers, were asked to walk at a self-selected pace on the treadmill. A real-time 3D image of their lower limbs was modelized and projected on the screen ahead of them, as if in a walking motion from left to right. The subjects were instructed to continue walking. When we initiated an increase in the knee flexion of the avatar, we observed a similar increase in the subjects' knee flexion. No significant results were observed when the modification involved a decrease in knee flexion. The results and their significance are discussed using theories encompassing empathy, sympathy and sensory re-calibration. The prospect of using this type of modified avatar for stroke rehabilitation is discussed.