Conceptual and Technical Aspects of Full-Body Motion Support in Virtual and Mixed Reality

Abstract

Full-body motion support has been extensively utilized as a means to an end, rather than an impactful factor of concepts such as Body Ownership Illusion (BOI) and the immersive virtual experience. In addition, technical setups are seldom co-related to a study’s findings, even though system, equipment and implementation quality are fundamental components that may vastly affect user experience. This study presents a Mixed Reality (MR) environment in which 21 participants had to interact with real objects accurately represented in the virtual space, while having full-body motion control of their avatar with the use of Inverse Kinematics. Sense of presence, BOI, perceived realism and equipment invasiveness were examined in regard to having full-body motion control and real-virtual object handling. Preliminary results indicate that full-body motion support increases BOI, however with high levels of BOI, presence and overall engagement are not concomitant to perceived realism of the virtual environment and experience.