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Updated: Jul 29, 2025
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MPI CyberMotion Simulator: Implementation of a Novel Motion Simulator to Investigate Multisensory Path Integration in Three Dimensions
Published on: May 10, 2012
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Movement kinematic and postural control differences when performing a visuomotor skill in real and virtual
K Brock1, S J Vine1, J M Ross1
1School of Public Health and Sport Sciences, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, University of Exeter, St Luke's Campus, Exeter, EX1 2LU, UK.
Experimental Brain Research
|May 24, 2023
Summary
Virtual and mixed reality alter sensorimotor control, impacting golf putting. Movements in virtual environments show differences in kinematics and postural control, suggesting conscious adaptation despite reported lower awareness.
Area of Science:
- Sensorimotor control
- Human-computer interaction
- Biomechanics
Background:
- Immersive technologies (virtual reality [VR] and mixed reality [MR]) present simulated sensory inputs that differ from natural environments.
- These discrepancies, including altered visual fields and haptic feedback, can affect motor control and conscious movement awareness.
- Previous research indicates motor control changes in simpler tasks, but complex skills like golf putting remain under-explored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of VR and MR on the sensorimotor control of golf putting.
- To compare kinematic and postural control differences between real-world, VR, and MR putting conditions.
- To explore the relationship between objective movement changes and subjective awareness in virtual environments.
Main Methods:
- A repeated-measures design compared golf putting kinematics and postural control across three conditions: real-world, VR, and MR (VR with real ball haptics).
- Kinematic data of the putter swing and postural sway were recorded and analyzed.
- Participants' subjective awareness of movement control was also assessed.
Main Results:
- Significant differences in putter swing kinematics were found between real-world and VR conditions, and between VR conditions with and without haptic feedback.
- Postural control differed markedly between real and virtual putting, with VR conditions exhibiting larger, more regular, and less complex postural movements.
- Despite objective changes suggesting more conscious balance control in VR, participants reported lower conscious awareness of their movements.
Conclusions:
- Virtual and mixed reality environments induce fundamental differences in motor control compared to natural environments.
- These sensorimotor alterations in VR/MR may challenge the transfer of skills learned in virtual settings to real-world applications, particularly in sports and rehabilitation.
- The discrepancy between objective movement patterns and subjective awareness highlights the complexity of sensorimotor adaptation in immersive technologies.
