EAGER: Enabling Virtual Reality for Aquatic Rehabilitation of Persons with Disabilities

EAGER：为残疾人的水上康复提供虚拟现实

• 批准号: 1648949
• 负责人: John Quarles
• 金额: $ 24万
• 依托单位: University of Texas at San Antonio
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2016
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2016-10-01 至 2019-09-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1648949&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: EAGER; Enabling; Virtual; Reality; Aquatic

Because Virtual Reality (VR) technology (e.g., a head mounted display with a full body tracking system) typically cannot be used underwater, what impact aquatic VR would have on user interaction is mostly unknown, and potential important underwater applications such as pool-based physical rehabilitation remain unrealized. There has been only minimal research on aquatic VR in general, and none of that work has investigated its effects on people with disabilities. Prior research has demonstrated that VR-enhanced rehabilitation can offer many benefits, such as increased motivation through immersive games and the ability to practice in a safe environment, but VR has yet to be applied in practice to aquatic rehabilitation. In this exploratory research the PI will seek to determine effective system and interaction approaches for aquatic VR that maintain rehabilitation motivation and maximize exercise performance by disabled persons, specifically for individuals with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) who commonly have proprioceptive and balance deficits. The PI's preliminary work suggests that a video see-though display, body tracking via inertial measurement units, and head positioning via optical tracking will enable an effective aquatic VR system. The PI's hypothesis is that aquatic VR will enable members of the target population to perform exercises significantly better than on land. If this hypothesis is found to be supported, the project will represent a critical step towards the grand challenge of universal usability of VR, and will in particular afford a deeper understanding of the effectiveness of VR as a medium for rehabilitation. To test his hypothesis, the research will include two thrusts. One of these will seek to determine viable system approaches for enabling aquatic VR. In preliminary work, the PI devised a prototype system consisting of a novel combination of off-the-shelf components. A waterproof smart phone was attached to a dive mask, to enable a 3DOF tracked stereoscopic view of the virtual underwater environment. A second waterproof smart phone was attached to the user's chest, allowing for 3DOF body orientation tracking, punch detection and haptic feedback. The virtual sounds of the game were delivered through a pair of waterproof headphones, which also allowed real sounds to be heard underwater. The other thrust in this project will determine through a series of empirical studies how aquatic VR affects human performance of rehabilitation exercises, Considering the known advantages of aquatic rehabilitation over land-based, the working hypothesis here is that aquatic VR will enable persons with disabilities to experience significantly less fatigue, maintain balance better, and exercise longer with increased resistance than land-based virtual rehabilitation, and that it may also improve motivation compared to traditional aquatic rehabilitation. In preliminary work, the PI developed Shark Punch, a prototype aquatic VR game in which players must fight for their lives in a real underwater environment against a virtual Great White shark. From a rehabilitation perspective, this game focuses on improving joint mobility, and flexor and extensor muscle strength, through punching exercises. In the game, the shark first circles the player and then ferociously attacks, trying to bite the player. After it bites, it retreats back to circling the player from a distance. A bite can only be prevented if the player lands a real punch on the virtual shark's nose. If the user successfully punches the shark, the shark is stunned for a few seconds and then swims back to a safe distance from the player.

由于虚拟现实 (VR) 技术（例如带有全身跟踪系统的头戴式显示器）通常无法在水下使用，因此水下 VR 对用户交互的影响大多未知，并且潜在的重要水下应用（例如基于泳池的物理康复）仍未实现。总体而言，关于水生 VR 的研究很少，而且没有一项研究调查了它对残疾人的影响。 先前的研究表明，VR 增强康复可以带来很多好处，例如通过沉浸式游戏增加动力以及在安全环境中练习的能力，但 VR 尚未应用于水中康复的实践中。 在这项探索性研究中，PI 将寻求确定水生 VR 的有效系统和交互方法，以保持残疾人的康复动机并最大限度地提高运动表现，特别是对于通常存在本体感觉和平衡缺陷的多发性硬化症 (MS) 患者。 PI 的初步工作表明，视频透视显示、通过惯性测量单元进行身体跟踪以及通过光学跟踪进行头部定位将实现有效的水生 VR 系统。 PI 的假设是，水中 VR 将使目标人群的锻炼效果明显优于陆地。 如果这一假设得到支持，该项目将代表着向虚拟现实普遍可用性这一重大挑战迈出的关键一步，特别是将使人们更深入地了解虚拟现实作为康复媒介的有效性。 为了检验他的假设，该研究将包括两个重点。其中之一将寻求确定可行的系统方法来实现水生虚拟现实。 在前期工作中，PI 设计了一个原型系统，该系统由现成组件的新颖组合组成。 将防水智能手机连接到潜水面罩上，以实现虚拟水下环境的 3DOF 跟踪立体视图。 第二部防水智能手机被连接到用户的胸部，允许 3DOF 身体方向跟踪、拳击检测和触觉反馈。 游戏的虚拟声音是通过一副防水耳机传递的，这也使得在水下也能听到真实的声音。 该项目的另一个主旨是通过一系列实证研究来确定水中虚拟现实如何影响人类康复锻炼的表现。考虑到水中康复相对于陆地康复的已知优势，这里的工作假设是，与陆地虚拟康复相比，水中虚拟康复将使残疾人明显减少疲劳，更好地保持平衡，并在阻力增加的情况下锻炼更长时间，并且与传统水上虚拟康复相比，它还可以提高动力 康复。 在前期工作中，PI 开发了 Shark Punch，这是一款原型水生 VR 游戏，玩家必须在真实的​​水下环境中与虚拟大白鲨搏斗以求生存。 从康复的角度来看，这款游戏的重点是通过拳击练习来提高关节的灵活性以及屈伸肌的力量。 游戏中，鲨鱼先绕着玩家转一圈，然后猛烈攻击，试图咬住玩家。 咬住后，它会退回到远处环绕玩家。 只有当玩家用真正的拳头击中虚拟鲨鱼的鼻子时，才能防止被咬。 如果用户成功击打鲨鱼，鲨鱼会被击晕几秒钟，然后游回距玩家的安全距离。

项目成果

Evaluation of Virtual Reality Tracking Systems Underwater

水下虚拟现实跟踪系统的评估

• DOI: 10.2312/egve.20191277
• 发表时间: 2019
• 期刊: ICAT-EGVE 2019 - International Conference on Artificial Reality and Telexistence and Eurographics Symposium on Virtual Environments
• 作者: Costa, R.;Quarles, J.
• 通讯作者: Quarles, J.

3D Interaction with Virtual Objects in Real Water

与真实水中的虚拟物体进行 3D 交互

• DOI: 10.1109/vs-games.2019.8864574
• 发表时间: 2019
• 期刊: 11th International Conference on Virtual Worlds and Games for Serious Applications (VS-GAMES 2019
• 作者: Costa, Raphael;Quarles, John
• 通讯作者: Quarles, John

Towards usable underwater virtual reality systems

迈向可用的水下虚拟现实系统

• DOI: 10.1109/vr.2017.7892281
• 发表时间: 2017
• 期刊: 2017 IEEE
• 作者: Costa, Raphael;Guo, Rongkai;Quarles, John
• 通讯作者: Quarles, John

Virtual Ability Simulation: Applying Rotational Gain to the Leg to Increase Confidence During Physical Rehabilitation

虚拟能力模拟：将旋转增益应用于腿部以增加身体康复期间的信心

• DOI: 10.2312/egve.20191282
• 发表时间: 2019
• 期刊: ICAT-EGVE 2019 - International Conference on Artificial Reality and Telexistence and Eurographics Symposium on Virtual Environments
• 作者: Chowdhury, T.;Ferdous, S.;Peck, T.;Quarles, J.
• 通讯作者: Quarles, J.