GAME DEVELOPMENT | CONCEPT | MOTION CAPTURE | RIGGING | ANIMATION | USER INTERFACE | LOOK DEVELOPMENT

This VR prototype allows users to analyse the gait of different virtual humans in a virtual environment and to try out various scenarios through configuration options. Gait analysis is usually done in real life, where medical professionals analyse the gait pattern of real humans as they walk.

When learning gait analysis, it is complex for people in education as well as in vocational practice to reach professionals and a variety of patients with diverse pathological gait patterns. The aim of this master thesis was to develop a prototypical application of virtual reality for learning gait analysis using different virtual humans. For this purpose, this VR prototype was developed with the following functions:

• Observation of virtual humans from a variety of perspectives through a virtual avatar
• Configuration of different abstract and realistic visualizations via user interfaces
• Combination of the virtual humans with different simulations of gait patterns
• Modification of the movements through playback modes and different speed levels

In collaboration with the Centre for Digital Health and Social Innovation (CDHSI), medical motion capture data could be used as the basis for the animations of the virtual humans. The simulated movements are matched with the different visualizations of the Virtual Humans. Newly captured motion capture data of the same marker set and further Virtual Humans can be implemented generically.

The user tests showed that the visualizations and simulations were assessed as realistic and suitable for gait analysis. However, the simulations still need to be optimised in the future to be able to show more details and more realistic movements. Overall, the test persons perceived the VR prototype as user-friendly and the results presented will contribute to future developments of research projects.

The project was made with Unity, MotionBuilder and Maya on Oculus Quest. Many thanks also to Johannes Weber from Renderpeople for providing the human models. This VR prototype was developed as part of my master’s thesis in my masterclass in Augmented & Virtual Reality at St. Pölten University of Applied Sciences.