Mixed Reality Alters Motor Planning and Control

52 Pages Posted: 9 Aug 2024

See all articles by Xiaoye Michael Wang

Xiaoye Michael Wang

University of Toronto

Michael Nitsche

Georgia Institute of Technology

Gabby Resch

affiliation not provided to SSRN

Ali Mazalek

Toronto Metropolitan University

Timothy Welsh

University of Toronto - Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education

Abstract

Compared to physical, unmediated reality (UR), mixed reality technologies, such as Virtual (VR) and Augmented (AR) Reality, entail perturbations across multiple sensory modalities (visual, haptic, etc.) that could alter how actors move within the different environments. Because of the mediated nature, goal-directed movements in VR and AR may rely on planning and control processes that are different from movements in UR, resulting in less efficient motor control. The current study involved participants performing manual pointing movements on Müller-Lyer illusion stimuli to examine the relative contributions of movement planning and online control in UR, VR, and AR. Compared to UR, movements in VR were slower but were equally variable with a comparable level of online control, whereas movements in AR showed comparable speed but exhibited higher variability and less online control. Further, movements in VR and AR demonstrated a greater illusory effect in endpoint accuracy relative to UR. These findings suggested that participants in VR adopted an active compensation strategy to overcome the impact of less efficient online control, whereas those in AR did not. The findings that VR and AR fundamentally alter movement planning and execution provide valuable insights into the potential neural systems engaged during movements in different realities.

Keywords: virtual reality, Augmented reality, Manual pointing, Motor control, Visual pathways

Suggested Citation

Wang, Xiaoye Michael and Nitsche, Michael and Resch, Gabby and Mazalek, Ali and Welsh, Timothy, Mixed Reality Alters Motor Planning and Control. Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4920601

Xiaoye Michael Wang (Contact Author)

University of Toronto ( email )

105 St George Street
Toronto, M5S 3G8
Canada

Michael Nitsche

Georgia Institute of Technology ( email )

Atlanta, GA 30332
United States

Gabby Resch

affiliation not provided to SSRN ( email )

No Address Available

Ali Mazalek

Toronto Metropolitan University ( email )

Timothy Welsh

University of Toronto - Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education ( email )

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