Study on the Influence of Embodied Avatars on Gait Parameters in Virtual Environments and Real World

TL;DR

This study investigates how embodied avatars and virtual reality influence gait parameters in virtual and real environments, revealing disparities and the impact of avatar appearance on gait behavior.

Contribution

It introduces a virtual environment and analysis system to examine avatar appearance effects on gait, providing empirical evidence of their influence.

Findings

Gait differs between virtual and real environments.

Avatar appearance affects gait parameters in virtual settings.

Embodiment of old-age avatars influences real-world gait.

Abstract

In this study, we compare the virtual and real gait parameters to investigate the effect of appearances of embodied avatars and virtual reality experience on gait in physical and virtual environments. We developed a virtual environment simulation and gait detection system for analyzing gait. The system transfers real-life scenarios into a realistic presentation in the virtual environment and provides look-alike same-age and old-age avatars for participants. We conducted an empirical study and used subjective questionnaires to evaluate participants' feelings about the virtual reality experience. Also, the paired sample t-test and neural network were implemented to analyze gait differences. The results suggest that there are disparities in gait between virtual and real environments. Also, the appearance of embodied avatars could influence the gait parameters in the virtual environment. Moreover, the experience of embodying old-age avatars affects the gait in the real world.