Auditory Feedback for Standing Balance Improvement in Virtual Reality
This addresses balance problems in VR to enhance accessibility, especially for users with impairments, though it is incremental as it builds on prior confirmation of the imbalance effect.
The study tackled postural instability in VR by testing auditory feedback techniques, finding that spatial and center-of-pressure audio significantly improved balance for both impaired and non-impaired participants.
Virtual Reality (VR) users often experience postural instability, i.e., balance problems, which could be a major barrier to universal usability and accessibility for all, especially for persons with balance impairments. Prior research has confirmed the imbalance effect, but minimal research has been conducted to reduce this effect. We recruited 42 participants (with balance impairments: 21, without balance impairments: 21) to investigate the impact of several auditory techniques on balance in VR, specifically spatial audio, static rest frame audio, rhythmic audio, and audio mapped to the center of pressure (CoP). Participants performed two types of tasks - standing visual exploration and standing reach and grasp. Within-subject results showed that each auditory technique improved balance in VR for both persons with and without balance impairments. Spatial and CoP audio improved balance significantly more than other auditory conditions. The techniques presented in this research could be used in future virtual environments to improve standing balance and help push VR closer to universal usability.