University of Twente Student Theses
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Make those legs work : a VR walking experience for partly-ambulatory people
Zoontjens, L.J.A. (2025) Make those legs work : a VR walking experience for partly-ambulatory people.
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| Abstract: | This Bachelor's Thesis explores how to provide an effective at-home VR walking experience for partly ambulatory users. People with limited mobility are often overlooked in the design of Virtual Reality (VR) walking experiences, limiting inclusivity and accessibility. To address this, a seated VR walking experience was created, integrating a leg-based controller with a walking surface, accommodating the needs of partly ambulatory persons. The design process combined mind mapping, group brainstorming and a MoSCoW analysis to define requirements. The final prototype utilised ankle-mounted Vive Ultimate Trackers for leg tracking and a walking surface composed of a flexible PVC plate, chosen for its smooth sliding properties and natural walking feel. User tests were conducted with 14 fully ambulatory persons, comparing seated walking without and with the walking surface. The results showed strong statistical evidence (BF_10 = 163.456) that the walking surface improved usability, immersion, and comfort. All participants preferred seated walking with a walking surface, because it felt smoother and more natural. Data analysis showed that a walking surface provides more stability and coordination to the user. However, the walking patterns across the different individuals were less consistent than without the surface. The key limitation of the project was the user testing with a proxy group; no actual partly ambulatory persons took part in the tests. More limitations were the short duration of the user tests, potential biases because of the learning and the novelty effect, and the lack of comparison to other existing VR locomotion solutions. Further development should focus on making the walking surface adjustable to users' height, adding support for turning in real life, integrating the prototype into existing VR applications, and, most importantly, testing with partly ambulatory persons. |
| Item Type: | Essay (Bachelor) |
| Faculty: | EEMCS: Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science |
| Subject: | 50 technical science in general |
| Programme: | Creative Technology BSc (50447) |
| Link to this item: | https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/107796 |
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