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Becoming a Rapid Shooter in a Game Using Embodied Electrical Muscle Stimulation: Development and Usability Study
Jihwan Kim1, Mingyu Kang1, Jejoong Kim2
1Department of Computer Science, Hanyang University, 222 Wangsimni-ro, Seongdong-gu, Seoul, 04763, Republic of Korea, 82 222202319.
JMIR Serious Games
|October 22, 2025
Summary
Electrical muscle stimulation (EMS) enhances reaction time in games by finding a "sweet spot" for muscle activation. Personalized EMS offers additional benefits for user agency and performance in complex scenarios.
Area of Science:
- Human-Computer Interaction
- Neuroscience
- Sports Science
Background:
- Electrical muscle stimulation (EMS) can improve human performance by inducing muscle contractions.
- Maintaining user's sense of agency is crucial for effective EMS, requiring a balance between performance gain and control.
- Previous research on the EMS "sweet spot" focused on simple tasks, leaving a gap in understanding its application in complex game environments and personalized approaches.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of embodied EMS on performance and sense of agency in a serious pistol-shooting game.
- To explore the benefits of personalized EMS timing (sweet spot) in a complex gaming scenario.
Main Methods:
- Study 1: Identified the optimal EMS timing (sweet spot) using a visual stimulus-response task with 13 participants, employing logistic regression to analyze agency and reaction time.
- Study 2: Applied findings to a pistol-shooting game with 10 new participants, comparing four conditions: average EMS, individual EMS, immediate EMS, and no EMS.
- Individual sweet spots were calibrated before gameplay in the personalized EMS condition.
Main Results:
- Study 1 identified an average sweet spot of 46.8 ms, significantly improving reaction time while preserving agency.
- Study 2 demonstrated that both average and individual embodied EMS significantly reduced reaction times in the pistol-shooting game compared to no EMS.
- Individually personalized EMS provided additional benefits in agency for participants with slower-than-average responses.
Conclusions:
- Embodied EMS effectively enhances performance in complex game scenarios without compromising user agency.
- Personalized EMS timing offers additional advantages, particularly for specific user groups.
- Findings support the personalized design of EMS systems for applications in sports, rehabilitation, and serious gaming.
