Turning Strategies While Walking on an Omnidirectional Treadmill With Virtual Reality

Area of Science:

• Human locomotion and biomechanics
• Virtual reality in rehabilitation and training
• Gait analysis and motor control

Background:

• Omnidirectional treadmills with virtual reality (ODTVR) are emerging tools for complex locomotor training.
• The specific effects of ODTVR on gait parameters and body segment coordination are not well understood.
• Understanding these effects is crucial for optimizing ODTVR use in clinical and research settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of a motorized self-paced ODTVR system on axial body segment coordination.
• To analyze spatiotemporal gait parameters during a turning while walking task under ODTVR conditions.
• To compare ODTVR effects against an omnidirectional treadmill (ODT) without VR and overground walking (OVG).

Main Methods:

• Kinematic data were collected from twenty healthy young adults.
• Participants performed a turning while walking task under three conditions: ODTVR, ODT, and OVG.
• Gait parameters and body segment reorientation sequences were analyzed.

Main Results:

• A consistent head-thorax-pelvis-heading sequence of reorientation was observed across all conditions.
• ODTVR showed earlier segment reorientation onsets and marginally smaller amplitudes compared to ODT and OVG.
• Walking speed and step length were reduced in ODTVR compared to ODT and OVG, with ODT also showing reductions versus OVG.

Conclusions:

• Subtle alterations in body segment coordination during ODTVR are primarily attributed to the VR component.
• Both the omnidirectional treadmill and VR components influenced walking speed and step length.
• ODTVR is perceived as non-anxiogenic and easy to use, supporting its potential for clinical and experimental applications, with consideration for user experience.