Immersive Ecological Virtual Environment for Inducing Balance Disturbances

This study aims to assess the impact of different visual perturbations on user balance within an immersive Virtual Environment (VE), emphasising ecological validity. Utilising a Virtual Reality headset, the researchers implemented various visual perturbations to discern their effects. The objective was to create a versatile tool featuring animations simulating diverse indoor and outdoor settings within a typical household, providing a range of ecological scenarios for evaluating user balance in the context of these visual disturbances. Participants were exposed to unpredictable visual disturbances within the VE, and their responses were captured using a combination of inertial sensors, electromyography and galvanic skin response. A comprehensive dataset replicating real-world fall scenarios on balance disturbances was collected. Throughout the trials, participants moved around the house, unaware of the timing or nature of visual perturbations. Statistical analysis identified variables with significant mean changes when visual disturbances were introduced. Muscle groups crucial for balance recovery following external disturbances exhibited the most substantial associations, akin to kinematic variables linked to loss of balance. Visual disturbances alone could induce balance disturbances, which were further categorized based on a statistical analysis. This tool offered a versatile platform for assessing balance under various challenging scenarios, facilitating research into balance control and training methods. The dataset generated through this protocol enabled a wide understanding of the impact of visual disturbances on balance and the associated compensatory reactions, shedding light on their potential applications in clinical and rehabilitative settings.