Improving a Pseudo-walking Sensation by AC-GVS and noisy GVS with Foot-Sole Vibrations

Abstract

This paper examined the influence of galvanic vestibular stimulation (GVS) on inducing a sensation of walking for seated participants in virtual environments while viewing a VR scene through an HMD. We conducted an experiment to evaluate the influence of bilateral AC-GVS and noisy GVS synchronized with foot-sole vibrations imitating foot steps on perception as if the participant were walking. Experimental results show that the perception of pseudo-walking was greatly affected by AC-GVS rather than noisy GVS. Our results will expand the range of VR content and reduce the system cost and space requirements.