I have looked at different aspects of VR and its uses, but this post wants to take a closer look at the basis for everything that I have talked about up until now: How do our bodies even respond when being exposed to virtual reality?
First of all, of course VR has its limitations. This is due to the fact that it mostly covers only one sense: seeing. Often times hearing is also involved, but things such as touching, smelling or even tasting are almost always left out, as there is simply no mainstream applicable solution available yet. However, those that have already tried a VR headset know that the immersion is still considerable. But how does it compare?
Experiments on rats have shown that the frequency of electrical spikes between neurons drop by around two thirds when experiencing VR content as opposed to the real world. Activity of cells responsible for navigation also drops to 30%, compared to 80% in real life. Furthermore, 60% of hippocampal neurons, responsible for information retention and learning, are simply turned off during VR sessions. Of course these numbers are not directly applicable to humans, as this was not fully researched yet, but the results show interesting differences nonetheless.1
Of course there are efforts made to research specific parts of how humans interact with VR. For example, a study about the difference in impact between physical and visual perturbations on users’ balance was conducted. The study participants were tasked to walk along a treadmill, while one group was being physically disturbed in their balance, whereas the other group was visually disturbed. The results showed that the physical group managed to improve their balance by 10% through the training, while the visual group increased it by 40%.2
Another interesting approach was used in a study for the Psychology of Sport & Exercise journal. During that study, participants had to lift weights in form of a dumbell using one arm. One group was looking at their real arm while doing so, and the other group was in a virtual twin of the current room, with a 3D hand holding a 3D weight, all made to mimic the exact same field of vision the non-VR users had. The arm movement was also tracked during exercise, in order to increase immersion. What is interesting is that, doing the exact same exercise, the VR group was found to have a 11% lower rating of perceived exertion, and also a 10-13% lower pain intensity rating than the people doing the “real” exercise. The study lists a mental diversion from the pain stimuli, or a lack of visual signs of exertion on the virtual hand, which the user identified to be their own, as possible reasons for the results.3
These first studies of how our bodies respond to VR, or what VR makes our bodies do, hold very promising connotations as to what it could be used for in the future, as the technology continues to rapidly develop. I will be sure to follow that evolution closely!
Sources
1. Virtual Times. “How does our brain respond to Virtual Reality?” Virtual Times. Published November 29, 2021. https://virtualtimes-h2020.eu/how-does-our-brain-respond-to-virtual-reality/
2. J Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering. “Virtual Reality Trains The Mind To Balance The Body” University of Florida. Published September 17, 2018. https://www.eng.ufl.edu/newengineer/news/virtual-reality-trains-the-mind-to-balance-the-body/
3. Matsangidou, Maria, Chee Siang Ang, Alexis R. Mauger, Jittrapol Intarasirisawat, Boris Otkhmezuri, and Marios N. Avraamides. “Is Your Virtual Self as Sensational as Your Real? Virtual Reality: The Effect of Body Consciousness on the Experience of Exercise Sensations.” Psychology of Sport and Exercise. 2019. Elsevier BV. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2018.07.004.
