An Analysis of Mu Rhythm Desynchronization in Virtual Reality Locomotion

Movement Observation (MO), which refers to humans’ perception of movement, significantly influences user cognition and behavior in Virtual Reality (VR) environments. It has the potential to influence immersion and effectiveness of the VR experience. This research investigates MO and how our brains react to locomotion in VR, generally motivated by an interest in neurological considerations when integrating locomotion within an experience, either for social or medical purposes, such as rehabilitation. The investigation explores and compares VR locomotion techniques through mu rhythm desynchronization, shedding light on the underlying neural processes associated with motor resonance in the context of VR-mediated MO. Through a detailed experimental approach, incorporating Electroencephalography (EEG) analysis, the study examines neural responses elicited by three VR locomotion techniques: Arm Swinger (AS), Sliding Joystick (SJ), and Short Teleport (ST), employing sophisticated filtering methodology to isolate and analyze neural signals, minimizing artifacts from head and arm movements through velocity-based adaptive filtering and support vector classifiers for Electrooculography (EOG) noise reduction to enhances the precision of mu rhythm desynchronization analysis. Findings highlight significant variations in mu rhythm suppression across these techniques, illustrating the complex link between VR movement methods and their neural correlates in the motor cortex and showed a significant difference in mu suppression levels during MO of locomotion techniques, indicating that motor resonance of voluntary movement in VR is influenced by how that motion is perceived. Finally, this research suggests employing this method in conjunction with other cognitive and psychological metrics to assess the impact of VR experience on individuals.