Authors:
Rodrigo Lima
1
;
2
;
Muhammad Asif
1
;
2
;
Honorato Sousa
3
and
Sergi Bermúdez i Badia
1
;
2
Affiliations:
1
Faculdade de Ciências Exatas e da Engenharia, Universidade da Madeira, Funchal, Portugal
;
2
NOVA Laboratory for Computer Science and Informatics, Caparica, Portugal
;
3
Faculdade de Ciências do Desporto e Educação Física, Universidade de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
Keyword(s):
Hiking Simulator, Virtual Reality, Cardiorespiratory Fitness, Biocybernetic Loops, Heart Rate, User Experience, Control, Adaptation.
Abstract:
Adaptive Virtual Reality applications are a novel way to enhance and promote higher levels of physical activity and cardiorespiratory fitness, leading to a healthier lifestyle and avoid cardiovascular diseases. In this study, we developed a system using a virtual hiking simulator, the Levadas from Madeira Island, that aims to increase the compliance of recommendations levels of exertion by implementing a closed-loop adaptation according to the heart rate. The system was tested with a sample of twenty healthy young adults on a repeated measures design, comparing the adaptive VR, a non-adaptive VR version of the software, and a non-VR version. Perceived exertion, presence, usability and intrinsic motivation were assessed. The results from the study reveal that the adaptive control according to the heart rate promoted approximately 20% more time of exertion in the recommended target heart rate zone, while perceiving lower levels of exertion by the participants, compared to the non-adapt
ive condition.
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