Head-Mounted Display for Clinical Evaluation of Neck Movement Validation with Meta Quest 2

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Rehabilitation Technology
• Virtual Reality Applications

Background:

• Neck disorders are prevalent and impactful.
• Head-mounted displays (HMDs) offer immersive virtual reality (iVR) experiences.
• Accurate screening tools for neck mobility are needed.

Purpose of the Study:

• To validate the Meta Quest 2 HMD as a tool for screening neck movement in healthy individuals.
• To assess the accuracy of neck angle measurements using HMD technology.
• To compare HMD-derived neck mobility data against a standard measurement system.

Main Methods:

• Developed a virtual reality application for participants to perform six neck movements.
• Collected head position and orientation data using the Meta Quest 2 HMD.
• Utilized an InertiaCube3 inertial measurement unit (IMU) as a criterion standard for comparison.
• Calculated mean absolute error (MAE), percentage error (%MAE), and performed Bland-Altman analysis.

Main Results:

• Average absolute errors for neck angles were below 1° (0.48 ± 0.09°).
• Rotational movement showed an average %MAE of 1.61 ± 0.82%.
• Head orientation correlations ranged from 0.70 to 0.96, with good agreement between HMD and IMU.

Conclusions:

• The Meta Quest 2 HMD system provides valid measurements of neck rotational angles across three anatomical axes.
• The system demonstrates acceptable error percentages and minimal absolute error for neck rotation.
• The Meta Quest 2 HMD is a viable sensor for screening neck disorders in healthy populations.