Virtual-reality + motion capture

We have been exploring the combination of Virtual-reality (VR) and motion capture. This lets us combine technologies to track movements with other technologies to render movements in a virtual world. We have developed a combined VR-motion capture system to understand how we coordinate and control visually-guided movements. When people are in the virtual world, they no longer see the real world, and can only see their movements in the form of a computer avatar we present on a 3D display. We are using VR-motion capture to study how the brain learns to control dexterous, coordinated movements. Using a virtual reality interface makes it easy for us to program the mapping between intention and dexterous movements and we are also using this interface as a virtual prosthesis. Understanding how the brain learns to control this virtual interface will teach us how to train people to control advanced robotic devices in novel brain-machine interfaces.

Project Funded By
DARPA Biological Technologies Office