Bachelor's Thesis

From AR to VR: Development of Design Guidelines for Exergame development with reference to collision anxiety

Author:

Bünyamin Yilmaz

Abstract

Exergames are video games that require and encourage physical activity to play compared to more conventional control schemes such as handheld controllers. It has been shown that these games have the potential of increasing the players physical activity which may result in health benefits. Exergames are relevant in the context of Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) devices as these show potential for high levels of immersion and physical engagement. However, there are still limitations and uncertainties regarding these systems. AR products bring forth technological hurdles such as low field of vision and low screen brightness. VR on the other hand has its own challenges, especially when it comes to matters such as collision anxiety. Utilizing AR and VR complementary within the same exergame may help alleviate some of these issues. Therefore, the aim of this thesis is to develop design guidelines for exergame development with AR and VR in reference to the limitations of these systems with special attention given to collision anxiety. Furthermore, a haunted-house themed exergame will be adjusted for the Metaquest 2 to gradually transition from AR to VR. To be able to find out which mode of transition from AR to VR is best, an experiment will be done with 2 groups, being made of 20 participants each and a between-subjects design. One group will be able to manually influence the transition, while in the other group the transition will happen automatically at certain points in the game by progressing the level. The end results of this thesis will help with design suggestions regarding games being developed utilizing AR and VR.