Performance Evaluation of Meta Quest 3 and Meta Quest Pro in Static and Dynamic Conditions for Shoulder Rehabilitation in Virtual Reality

Virtual Reality is gaining increasing relevance as a system to monitor joint kinematics during rehabilitation and as a tool to improve patient adherence to rehabilitation protocols. This study aims to evaluate the performance of Meta Quest 3 and Meta Quest Pro by comparing their tracking accuracy against the Qualisys™ stereophotogrammetric reference system in static and dynamic conditions. In static conditions, translational and rotational accuracy were assessed using two custom-made setups: one assessing displacements along three axes (from 0 to 505 mm) and another covering rotations from 0° to 180°. Dynamic performance was evaluated through three clinically relevant upper-limb movements (flexion, external rotation, and abduction) executed by NAO humanoid robot at three different durations (S1 = 1s, S2 = 2s, S4 = 4s) to simulate varying patient conditions. Results showed a maximum translational mean absolute error of 4.7 ± 2.8 mm at 505 mm along the X-axis and a maximum rotational error of 2.8 ± 1.2° at 90° around the Y-axis for Meta Quest 3. In dynamic conditions, the highest mean absolute percentage error was 17.0 ± 2.9% for Meta Quest 3 during abduction at S4. Overall, the Meta Quest 3 and Meta Quest Pro, featuring inside-out tracking technology, demonstrate promising accuracy, supporting their potential use as reliable tools for Virtual Reality-based motor rehabilitation.