Development and Evaluation of a Treadmill-Based Video-See-Through and Optical-See-Through Mixed Reality Systems for...

Area of Science:

• Human-Computer Interaction
• Biomechanics
• Virtual Reality Training

Background:

• Mixed reality (MR) offers advanced training possibilities for obstacle negotiation.
• The feasibility and performance impact of MR on treadmill-based obstacle negotiation are not well understood.
• Existing physical training systems have limitations in replicating diverse obstacle scenarios.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate an MR obstacle negotiation training system on a treadmill.
• To compare the effects of video see-through (VST) and optical see-through (OST) MR systems on obstacle negotiation performance.
• To investigate the influence of virtual versus real obstacles within MR environments.

Main Methods:

• Development of an MR obstacle negotiation training system integrated with a treadmill.
• Implementation of two MR systems utilizing VST and OST Head Mounted Displays (HMDs).
• Assessment of obstacle negotiation performance (e.g., leading/trailing foot parameters) with virtual and real obstacles.

Main Results:

• The VST MR system significantly altered leading foot parameters when stepping over virtual box obstacles (e.g., 22-30 cm adjustments for a 7 cm box).
• The OST MR system showed a tendency for users to not lift their trailing foot sufficiently for virtual obstacles (e.g., 30-25 cm adjustments for a 7 cm box).
• Latency differences between HMDs are hypothesized to influence performance changes in the VST condition.

Conclusions:

• Low-latency visual feedback is crucial for effective visuo-motor integration in MR-based obstacle negotiation.
• The type of HMD (VST vs. OST) impacts obstacle negotiation strategies and performance.
• MR systems, particularly those with minimal latency, can be viable tools for enhancing obstacle negotiation training.