Virtual Reality (VR) exergames can increase engagement in and motivation for physical activities. Most VR exergames focus on the upper body because many VR setups only track the users' heads and hands. To become a serious alternative to existing exercise programs, VR exergames must provide a balanced workout and train the lower limbs, too. To address this issue, we built a VR exergame focused on vertical jump training to explore full-body exercise applications. To create a safe and effective training, nine domain experts participated in our prototype design. Our mixed-methods study confirms that the jump-centered exercises provided a worthy challenge and positive player experience, indicating long-term retention. Based on our findings, we present five design implications to guide future work: avoid an unintended forward drift, consider technical constraints, address safety concerns in full-body VR exergames, incorporate rhythmic elements with fluent movement patterns, adapt difficulty to players' fitness progression status.
翻译:虚拟现实(VR)体感游戏能提升用户参与体育活动的投入感与动力。由于多数VR设备仅追踪用户头部和手部运动,现有VR体感游戏主要聚焦上肢训练。若要成为传统锻炼方案的可靠替代方案,VR体感游戏必须提供均衡训练,并同样锻炼下肢。针对这一问题,我们构建了一款专注于垂直跳跃训练的VR体感游戏,以探索全身运动应用。为创建安全有效的训练方案,九位领域专家参与了我们的原型设计。混合方法研究证实,以跳跃为核心的训练提供了富有价值的挑战与积极的玩家体验,表明其具有长期留存潜力。基于研究结果,我们提出五项设计启示以指导未来工作:避免非预期的前向漂移、考量技术限制、解决全身VR体感游戏的安全问题、融入流畅运动模式的节奏性元素、根据用户体能进展状态调整难度。