Biomechanics and Ergonomics Lab, Industrial and Systems Engineering Department, Rochester Institute of Technology, 1 Lomb Memorial Dr, Rochester, NY, 14623, USA.
Ann Biomed Eng. 2023 Sep;51(9):1910-1932. doi: 10.1007/s10439-023-03292-0. Epub 2023 Jul 24.
The digital world has recently experienced a swift rise in worldwide popularity due to Virtual (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) devices. However, concrete evidence about the effects of VR/AR devices on the physical workload imposed on the human body is lacking. We reviewed 27 articles that evaluated the physical impact of VR/AR-based tasks on the users using biomechanical sensing equipment and subjective tools. Findings revealed that movement and muscle demands (neck and shoulder) varied in seven and five studies while using VR, while in four and three studies during AR use, respectively, compared to traditional methods. User discomfort was also found in seven VR and three AR studies. Outcomes indicate that interface and interaction design, precisely target locations (gestures, viewing), design of virtual elements, and device type (location of CG as in Head-Mounted Displays) influence these alterations in neck and shoulder regions. Recommendations based on the review include developing comfortable reach envelopes for gestures, improving wearability, and studying temporal effects of repetitive movements (such as effects on fatigue and stability). Finally, a guideline is provided to assist researchers in conducting effective evaluations. The presented findings from this review could benefit designers/evaluations working towards developing more effective VR/AR products.
由于虚拟现实 (VR) 和增强现实 (AR) 设备的出现，数字世界在全球范围内迅速普及。然而，关于 VR/AR 设备对人体物理工作量的影响，目前还缺乏确凿的证据。我们回顾了 27 篇评估基于 VR/AR 的任务对用户的物理影响的文章，这些文章使用生物力学感应设备和主观工具进行评估。研究结果表明，与传统方法相比，在使用 VR 时，有 7 项研究和 5 项研究分别显示出运动和肌肉需求（颈部和肩部）的变化，而在使用 AR 时，分别有 4 项和 3 项研究显示出这种变化。在 7 项 VR 研究和 3 项 AR 研究中也发现了用户不适。研究结果表明，界面和交互设计、目标位置（手势、视图）、虚拟元素的设计以及设备类型（例如头显中 CG 的位置）都会影响颈部和肩部区域的这些变化。基于这一综述提出的建议包括为手势设计舒适的可达范围、提高佩戴舒适性、研究重复性运动的时间效应（例如对疲劳和稳定性的影响）。最后，提供了一个准则来帮助研究人员进行有效的评估。本综述中的研究结果可以使致力于开发更有效的 VR/AR 产品的设计师/评估师受益。
