Human Factors in Virtual Reality System Design for Mobility and Haptic Task Performance

In this chapter, we review research on the use of virtual reality (VR) and haptic technologies for studying human performance in tasks involving the tactile sense, including locomotion and upper-extremity motor-control training or rehabilitation. We present a general organizing framework of motor-control tasks and identify types of VR systems that have been developed for supporting the tactile sense in simulation of such tasks. We divide this coverage into gross motor tasks with a focus on locomotion and gait, in part because of the volume of research that has been conducted in this area, and fine motor skills with a focus on training for surgical tasks and upper-extremity rehabilitation. In covering VR technology, we review visual devices that facilitate hand-eye or body-eye coordination as well as physical task simulators (e.g., treadmill interfaces and haptic controllers). The directions of locomotion and motor-control task research exploiting these technologies are identified, and seminal studies representing each area are summarized. On this basis, we define a collection of VR simulation design recommendations from task and functional perspectives. The review also identifies the underlying cognitive and physical bases for specific observations on human performance made by previous research. Finally, the summaries of research studies are used as a basis for identifying future directions of research that should be addressed by the human factors community.